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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

ARCHITECTURE  LIB. 

GIFT  OF 

MRS.  CHARLES  SUMNER  GREENE 

AND  NATHANIEL  GREENE 

FROM  THE  LIBRARY  OF 
CHARLES  SUMNER  GREENE 


ttiih^'nyifrVV—nrirnn 


TAPESTRIES 

THEIR 

ORIGIN,  HISTORY 

AND 

RENAISSANCE 


tniHirJHlDWK  HinUM 


H 


VERTUMNUS   AND   POMONA 

This  is  the  most  perfect  Beauvais-Boucher  tapestry  I  have 
ever  seen,  and  the  illustration  is  singularly  fortunate  in  suggest- 
ing—though not  in  reproducing — the  exquisite  tones  of  the  original. 
It  is  10  feet  2  by  8  feet  6,  comes  from  the  Casimir-Perier  col- 
lection, having  been  acquired  about  80  years  ago  by  the  grand- 
father of  the  late  President  of  France,  was  designed  by  Francois 
Boucher,  whose  reversed  signature  (F.  Boucher  1757)  appears 
on  the  edge  of  the  marble  table,  and  was  woven  at  Beauvais  by 
A.  C.  Charron,  who  in  1753  became  manager  of  the  works  on  the 
death  of  Nicolas  Besnier.  It  is  valued  at  $120,000  and  was  in 
America  only  just  long  enough  last  winter  for  me  to  have  fh< 
colour  plates  made. 


I 


TAPESTRIES 


THEIR 


ORIGIN,  HISTORY 

AND 

RENAISSANCE 


BY 


GEORGE    LELAND    HUNTER 


With  Four  Illustrations  in  Color 

AND 

147  Halftone  Engravings 


New  York— JOHN  LANE  COMPANY 

London— JOHN  LANE— THE  BODLEY  HEAD 

Toronto— BELL  &  COCKBURN 


Copyright,   1912,  by 
John  Lane  Company 


Architecture 


Add'l 


GIFT 


PUBl.ISHKKS    PRINTING   COMPANY,    NEW  YORK,   r.  S.  A. 


jvkz  ns 


ARCH. 
UBRARY 


PREFACE 

Among  those  to  whom  I  am  especially  indebted  for 
assistance  in  the  preparation  of  this  book  are  the 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  and  its  President, 
Mr.  J.  Pierpont  Morgan,  whose  gifts  and  loans  have 
done  so  much  to  make  the  Museum  the  centre  of 
tapestry  interest  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic. 

Mr.  William  Clifford  of  the  Library  of  the  Metro- 
politan Museum,  who  has  assembled  there  the  best 
collection  of  tapestry  books  in  the  United  States,  and 
whose  advice  and  suggestions  have  been  invaluable. 

The  Hon.  Robert  McCormick,  American  Ambas- 
sador to  France,  and  Mr.  Spencer  Eddy,  Secretary 
of  the  American  Legation  at  St.  Petersburg,  for 
introductions  given  me  on  the  occasion  of  my  visit 
to  Europe  in   1906.  •      .    ^ » 

Mr.  Jules  Guiffrey,  Administrator  of  the  Gobelins. 

Many  museums  and  individuals  and  dealers  for 
photographs  or  permission  to  illustrate.  Among 
the  individuals:  Mr.  George  Blumenthal,  the  Duke 
of  Devonshire,  Lord  Anglesey,  Lord  Fortescue, 
Mrs.  A.  Yon  Zedlitz,  Mr.  Philip  Hiss,  Mrs.  Oscar 
Berg,  Miss  Ada  Thurston,  Mrs.  Nicholas  Longworth. 

5 


546 


6  PREFACE 

Among  the  dealers  and  makers:  Messrs.  Morris  & 
Co.,  for  plates  nos.  129,  131,  133,  135,  137,  2^; 
Gimpel  &  Wildenstein  for  colour  plate  no.  I;  Wm. 
Baumgarten  &  Co.  for  nos.  167,  207,  209,  211,  247, 
249,  251,  253;  the  Tiffany  Studios  for  no.  147;  W. 
Ziesch  &  Co.  for  no.  319;  the  Palmer  &  Embury 
Mfg.  Co.  for  colour  plate  no.  IV;  the  Herter  Looms 
for  no.  215;  P.  W.  French  &  Co.  for  nos.  161,  187, 
305,  351,  36i. 

With  the  bibliography  of  tapestries,  as  presented 
in  chapter  XV,  I  have  taken  great  pains,  in  order  to 
lighten  the  labour  of  those  who  wish  to  pursue 
further  the  study  of  this  fascinating  subject. 

To  me  personally  tapestries  are  the  most  interest- 
ing and  delightful  form  of  art,  combining  as  they 
do  picture  interest  with  story  interest  and  texture 
interest.  If  to  some  slight  degree  I  have  succeeded 
in  expressing  this  interest  on  the  pages  of  my  first 
book,  so  that  it  shall  please  even  the  casual  reader, 
my  labour  will  not  have  been  in  vain. 

George  Leland  Hunter. 

New  York,  October,  1912. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER   I  page 

The  Renaissance  of  Tapestries 15 

CHAPTER   II 
Gothic  Tapestries 33 

CHAPTER   III 
Renaissance  Tapestries 77 

CHAPTER   IV 

Flemish  and  Burgundian  Looms.  Arras,  Brussels,  Tournai, 
Bruges,  Enghien,  Oudenarde,  Middlebourg,  Lille,  Antwerp, 
Delft 99 

CHAPTER   V 
English    Looms.     Mortlake,    Merton,    Barcheston,    Windsor     105 

CHAPTER   VI 
The  Gobelins,  Beauvais  and  Aubusson      .....     153 

CHAPTER   VII 

Other  Looms.     American,  Italian,  German,  Spanish,  Russian, 

Swedish,  Norwegian 206 

CHAPTER   VIII 

The  Texture  of  Tapestries.  Arras  Tapestries.  Greek  and 
Roman  Tapestries.  High  Warp  and  Low  Warp.  The  Process 
of  Weaving 232 

CHAPTER   IX 

Designs  and  Cartoons.  Portraits  in  Tapestries.  Counter- 
feit Arras.     Animals  in  Tapestries.     Verdures     .        .        .    255 

7 


8  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER   X  page 

Tapestry  Signatures  and  Makers.    Tapestry  Captions.    Tapes- 
try Borders.    Tapestry  Shapes  and  Sizes  and  Measurements     267 

CHAPTER   XI 
The  Bible  in  Tapestries 279 

CHAPTER   XII 
History   and    Romance   in   Tapestries 295 

CHAPTER   XIII 

Tapestry   Point  of  View  and  Perspective.     Tapestry  Light 
and  Shade 311 

CHAPTER   XIV 

The  Care  of  Tapestries.     How  to  Hang,  Clean,  Repair  and 

Store  Them 317 

CHAPTER  XV 

Tapestry    Museums,    Collections,    Expositions,    Inventories, 

Sales  and  Books 323 

CHAPTER   XVI 
The  Tapestries  at  the  Metropolitan  Museum        .        .        .     368 


General    Index 417 

Index  of  Bibliography 437 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Colour  plate  no.  I  Vertumnus  and  Pomona  .         .        Frontispiece 


PAGE 


Colour  plate  no.  II  A  Flemish  Garden  Party  .  .  .  Opposite  32 
Colour  plate  no.  Ill  The  Bridal  Chamber  of  Herse  .  .  Opposite  76 
Colour  plate  no.  IV  An  Aubusson  Chair  Back     .         .         .     Opposite     198 

Scenes  from  the  Story  of  Man,  a  Gothic  Tapestry  belonging  to  Lord 

Anglesey        ...........        17 

Adam  Naming  the  Animals  in  the  Garden  of  Eden.    Italian  Renais- 
sance Tapestry  in  the  Florence  Museum         .....       19 

The  Bath  of  Cupid  and  Psyche.     Louis  XVI  Gobelin,  after  Renais- 
sance Design  ..........       23 

An  Interior  Showing  Tapestries  Properly  Used         ....       25 

A  Flemish  Banquet  Scene.     Late  Gothic  Tapestry  in  the  Musee  des 

Arts    Decoratifs     ..........       27 

King  Solomon  and  the  Queen  of  Sheba.     Gothic  Tapestry  in  the 

Milan  Poldi  Pezzoli  Museum         .......       29 

The  Wedding  Gift  of  France  to  the  Daughter  of  the  American  Presi- 
dent, a  Modern  Gobelin  Tapestry         ......       31 

Saint  Gereon  Fragment,  in  the  Lyons  Museum         ....       35 

The  Presentation  of  Jesus  at  the  Temple.     Gothic  XIV  Century 

Tapestry        ...........       37 

The  Story  of  the  Apocalypse.    Gothic  XIV  Century  Tapestry  in  the 

Cathedral  of  Angers       .........       39 

The  Burgundian  Sacraments.     The  Oldest  Tapestry  at  the  Metropoli- 
tan   Museum         .  ........         46,  47 

The  Lady  with  the  Unicorn.     Gothic  Tapestry  at  the  Cluny  Museum       49 
The  Giving  of  the  Roses.     Gothic   Decorative  Tapestry         .         .       53 
Sheep  Shearing.     A  Fascinating  Gothic  Fragment   in  the  Brussels 

Museum        ...........       55 

One  of  the  Four  Famous  Hardwicke  Hall  Hunting  Tapestries  .       57 

The  Siege  of  Troy.     Gothic  Tapestry  in  the  Victoria  and  Albert 

Museum        ...........       59 

Roland  at  Roncevaux.     Gothic  Tapestry  .....       61 

The  Story  of  Saint  Remi,  in  the  Church  of  Saint  Remi  at  Reims         .       65 
The  Story  of  the  Virgin.     Gothic-Renaissance  Transition  Tapestry 

at  Beaune     .         ..........       69 

The  Marriage  of  Cana.     Late  Gothic  Tapestry         ....       71 

9 


10  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 


Miracles  of  the  Eucharist.     Gothic  Tapestry,  in  the  Boston  Museum 

of  Fine  Arts  ..........       73 

The    Story    of    Saints    Gervais    and    Protais.     Gothic-Renaissance 

Transition  Tapestry  at  Le  Mans         ......       75 

Notre  Dame  du  Sablon,  an  Early  Renaissance  Tapestry  in  the  Brussels 

Museum        ...........       79 

Raphael's  Acts  of  the  Apostles.     The  Miraculous  Draft  of  Fish,  at 

the  Vatican 83 

Raphael's  Acts  of  the  Apostles.     Cartoon  of  the  Miraculous  Draft  of 

Fish,  at  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum  ....  85 
Raphael's  Acts  of  the  Apostles.     The  Cure  of  the  Paralytic  in  the 

Royal  Spanish  Collection      ........       89 

Raphael's  Acts  of  the  Apostles.     The  Conversion  of  Saul  at  Hampton 

Court,  and  the  Miraculous  Draft  of  Fish  at  the  Beauvais  Cathedral  91 
Raphael's  Acts  of  the  Apostles.     Christ's  Charge  to  Saint   Peter, 

Mortlake  Tapestry  in  the  French  National  Collection  .  .  93 
Interview  between  Scipio  and  Hannibal.     Renaissance  Tapestry  in 

the  Royal  Spanish  Collection        .......       95 

Crossing  the  Red  Sea.    Renaissance  Tapestry  in  the  Imperial  Austrian 

Collection      ...........       97 

Scene  from  the   Book  of   Kings.     Renaissance  Tapestry         .         .     101 
Apollo  and  the  Muses.     Brussels  XVIII  Century  Tapestry         .         .     103 
Vulcan's  Complaint  to  Jupiter.     Mortlake         .....     107 

Hero  and  Leander.  Mortlake  Tapestry  in  Sweden  .  .  .  121 
Two  Vulcan  and  Venus  Mortlake  Tapestries,  one  in  the  French  Na- 
tional  Collection  and   the  other  on  Loan  in  the   Metropolitan 

Museum        ...........     123 

The  Knights  of  the  Round  Table,  one  of  the  Merton  Holy  Grail  Set  129 
The  Departure  of  the  Knights,  one  of  the  Merton  Holy  Grail  Set  .  131 
The  Failure  of  Sir  Lancelot,  one  of  the  Merton  Holy  Grail  Set  .  133 
The  Star  of  Bethlehem,  a  Merton  Tapestry  at  Exeter  College  .  135 
The  Blindfolding  of  Truth,  a  Merton  Tapestry,  after  Byam  Shaw  .  137 
Oriental  Scenes,  an  English  Tapestry  of  the  Late  XVII  Century  .  147 
Scene  from  the  Story  of  Artemisia.     Paris  XVII  Century,  after  XVI 

Century   Design  .........     155 

Scene  from  the  Story  of  Gombaut  and   Mace         ....     161 

The  Air.     Gobelin  Tapestry  after  Lebrun         .....     165 

Chateau  de  Chambord,  one  of  the  12  Royal  Residences  of  Louis  XIV, 

Designed  by  Lebrun  and  His  Assistants  .....  167 
Louis  XIV  Visiting  the  Gobelins.     Gobelin  Tapestry  Designed  by 

Lebrun  and  Woven  under  His  Directions  .....  169 
Diana,  a  Grotesque  Panel  after  Claude  Audran.     Louis  XIV  Gobelin     175 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  11 


Vertumnus  and   Pomona,  Small  Oval   Panel  on   Damasse  Ground. 

Gobelin  XVIII  Century  Tapestry  after  Boucher         .         .         .     181 
Two  Modern  Gobelin  Tapestries.     The  Arms  of  Bordeaux,  and  the 

First  Civil  Marriage 183 

Beauvais  XVIII  Century  Screen  Panel  Bearing  the  Arms  of  the  Holy 

Roman  Empire     ..........     187 

A  Chinese  Return  from  Fishing.     Aubusson  XVIII  Century  Tapes- 
try in  the  Collection  of  M.  Martin  Le  Roy         ....     203 

A  Late  Gothic  Hunting  Scene,  Designed  and  Woven  in  America         .     207 
Winter,  an  American-made  Tapestry   Portiere         ....     209 

An  American-made  Cantonniere         .         .         .         .         .         .         .211 

A  Late  Gothic  Verdure  with  Personages,  Designed  and  Woven  in 

America         ...........     215 

March,  April,  May.     Italian  Renaissance  Tapestry  after  Bacchiacca 

in  the  Florence  Tapestry  Museum         ......     219 

Night  Symbolized  by  Diana  and  Her  Nymphs.     Tapestry  Woven  by 

Fevere  (Lefevre)  in  the  Florence  Museum  ....     221 

Russian  Tapestry  Portraits  of  Peter  the  Great  and  Catherine  the 

Great  229 

Modern  Norwegian  Tapestry 231 

Weaving  Arras  Tapestries  at  Merton 233 

Model  Loom.     The  Loom  and  the  Tools 247 

The  Weavers  at  Work 249 

Weaving  the  Lisses.  Threading  the  Lisses  .....  251 
The  Dye  Materials  and  the  Dyeing  Room  .....  253 
Saint  Luke  Painting  the  Virgin.     Tapestry  in  the  Louvre,  after  Van 

Der  Weyden 257 

The  Nativity  of  the  Virgin.     Gothic- Renaissance  Transition  Tapes- 
try at  Reims 261 

The  Audience  Given  by  Louis  XIV,  at  Fontainebleau,  to  the  Pope's 

Ambassador 263 

Children  Playing.     Enghien  Verdure  ......     265 

The  Triumph  of  the  Virgin,  a  Gothic  Tapestry  given  to  the  Louvre 

by  Baron  Davillier 269 

Cleopatra,  Brussels  XVII  Century.     Scene  from  Tasso's  Jerusalem 

Liberated,  Italian  XVIII  Century 277 

The  Creation.     Late  Gothic  Tapestry  Sold  with  the  Collection  of  the 

Duke  of  Berwick  and  Alba  in  1877 281 

The  Story  of  David.  Gothic  Tapestry  at  the  Cluny  Museum  .  283 
Part  of  a  Story  of  David  Tapestry,  at  the  Cluny  Museum  .  .  285 
The  Story  of  Tobias.     Two  Tapestries,  one  Delft  XVII  Century; 

the  other  Gobelin  XVIII  Century 287 


12  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


The  Perfections  of  the  Virgin.     One  of  the  Gothic- Renaissance  Set 

at  the  Cathedral  of  Reims,  Picturing  the  Story  of  the  Virgin         .     289 
Joshua  Helped  Across  the  Jordan  by  Jehovah.     Renaissance  Tapes- 
try in  the  Imperial  Austrian  Collection         .....     291 

The  Adoration  of  the  Magi  and  the  Adoration  of  the  Shepherds         .     293 
The  Story  of  Clovis,  at   Reims         .......     299 

Two  Scenes  from  the  Story  of  Achilles.     Brussels  XVII  Century         .     303 
Dido  Showing  /Eneas  the   Plans  of  Carthage         ....     305 

The  Flaying  of  Marsyas  by  Apollo.     Renaissance  Tapestry  in  the 

Royal  Spanish  Collection       ........     307 

The   Capture  of  Francis   I.     Renaissance  Tapestry  in   the   Naples 

Museum 309 

Joan  of  Arc  Entering  Chinon.     German  Gothic  Tapestry         .         .     313 
A  Panel  from  the  Boscoreale  Frescoes         ......     315 

Tapestry  Before  and  After  Repairing         ......     319 

Susannah  and  the  Elders.     In  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum         .     325 
Gothic  Concert  with  Mille  Fleur  Ground.     A  Masterpiece  of  Tapes- 
try Weaving  and  Design        ........     327 

The  King's  Return,  an  Early  German  Tapestry         ....     329 

Two  XVII   Century  Tapestries:    one  made  in  Paris,  the  other  in 

Brussels         ...........     331 

Animals   Fighting,   a   Gobelin   Tapestry   that   Spent   150   Years   in 

China   ............     333 

The  Four  Elements  and  Time.     Brussels  XVII  Century  Tapestry  in 

Sweden  ...........     335 

A  Game  of  Backgammon.     Brussels  XVII  Century  Tapestry  after 

Teniers  ...........     337 

Calvary.     A  Renaissance  Tapestry  after  Van  Orley,  Recently  Sold 

at  Public  Sale  in  Paris  for  $66,000 339 

The  Baptism  of  Christ  and  the  Descent  from  the  Cross.     Two  Early 

Renaissance  Tapestries  ........     341 

The  Story  of  Telemachus.     Brussels  XVII  Century  Tapestry         .     343 
The  Wood  Cutters.     A  Fascinating  Gothic  Tapestry  in  the  Musee 

des  Arts  Decoratifs        .........     345 

The  Story  of  Judith  and  Holophernes.     Gothic  Tapestry         .         .     347 
Crossing  the  Red  Sea.     Gothic  Tapestry  in  the  Boston  Museum  of 

Fine  Arts 349 

The   Triumph   of   David,   an   Early    Renaissance   Tapestry   in   the 

Ffoulke  Collection        .........     351 

Italian  Renaissance  Grotesque  Tapestry  in  the  Florence  Tapestry 

Museum        ...........     353 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  13 

PAGE 

Fete  of  Henri  II  and  Catherine.  Renaissance  Tapestry  in  the  Flor- 
ence Tapestry  Museum         ........     355 

Latona,   and   the   Peasants   Transformed   into   Frogs.      Louis   XIV 

Gobelin  Tapestry  after  Mignard  ......     357 

The  Triumph  of  Gluttony.     An   Early   Renaissance  Tapestry         .     359 

One  of  Teniers' Peasant  Scenes.     "At  the  Red  Cross  Inn"         .         .     361 

The    Angel    Delivers    St.    Peter.     Gothic    Tapestry   in    the    Cluny 

Museum 363 

The  Triumph  of  Fame.     Late  Gothic  Tapestry         ....     365 

Fructus  Belli,  the  Capture  of  a  City.     Renaissance  Tapestry  in  the 

Imperial  Austrian  Collection         .......     367 

The  Priceless  Mazarin  Triumph  of  Christ.     A  Late  Gothic  Triptych 

Tapestry  Lent  to  the  Metropolitan  Museum  by  Mr.  Morgan        .     369 

The   Triumph   of   Christ.     Late   Gothic   Tapestry   in   the    Brussels 

Museum        ...........     370 

The  Story  of  Charlemagne,  a  Gothic  Tapestry  in  a  New  York  Private 

Collection 371 

The  Triumph  of  the  Virgin,  a  Gothic  Tapestry  in  the  Royal  Spanish 

Collection 372 

The  Departure  of  John  the  Baptist.  Gothic- Renaissance  Transition 
Tapestry  Attributed  to  Van  Eyck,  in  the  Royal  Spanish  Collec- 
tion        373 

The   Triumph   of   Cupid.     Late   Gothic   Tapestry   in   the    Imperial 

Austrian  Collection        .........     375 

The  Capture  of  Calais.     Renaissance  Tapestry  in  the  Royal  Spanish 

Collection 377 

One  of  the  Arabesque  Months.  Louis  XIV  Gobelin  after  XVI  Cen- 
tury Design  ..........     379 

The  Family  of  Darius  at  Alexander's  Feet.  Late  Renaissance  Tapes- 
try  in   the    Royal   Spanish    Collection         .....     381 

Autumn,  Brussels  Late  XVII  Century  Tapestry        ....     383 

Diana  Attending  a  Wounded  Huntress,  an  XVIII  Century  Flemish 

Tapestry 385 

Children    Gathering    Grapes.     Renaissance    Tapestry  in  the  Royal 

Spanish  Collection         .........     387 

The  Story  of  Hercules.     Gothic  Tapestry         .....     389 

The  Months  January  and  March,  two  Gobelin  Tapestries  after  XVI 
Century  Designs,  the  first  now  in  Sweden  in  a  Private  Collection, 
the  second  in  the  French  National  Collection  ....     391 

Saint  Paul  Before  Agrippa  and  Berenice.     Renaissance  Tapestry  in 

the  Royal  Spanish  Collection         .......     393 

The  Triumph  of  Time,  and  the  Triumph  of  Cupid         .         .         .     395 


14  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Hercules  Kills  the  Dragon  that  Guards  the  Hesperides.  Renaissance 

Tapestry  in  the  Imperial  Austrian  Collection         ....     399 

The  Roman  Colosseum  in  Action.     Late  Renaissance  Tapestry  at 

the  Metropolitan  Museum  .......     401 

The  Story  of  Esther.     Gothic  Tapestry     ......     403 

The    Rape   of   the   Sabines.     Renaissance   Tapestry   in   the    Royal 

Spanish  Collection        .........     405 

The  Capture  of  Jerusalem,  Gothic.  The  Capture  of  a  City,  Renais- 
sance    ............     410 

Part  of  the  Capture  of  Jerusalem.  Gothic  Tapestry,  at  the  Metro- 
politan  Museum  .........     411 

Two  Scenes  from  the  Life  of  Christ.     Late  German  Renaissance         .     415 


CHAPTER  I 

The  Renaissance  of  Tapestries 

Prices  of  Tapestries.    Gothic,  Renaissance,  XVII  and  XVIII 
Century  Tapestries 

The  renaissance  of  tapestries  is  an  accomplished 
fact.  After  being  neglected  for  over  a  hundred 
years,  they  are  again  held  in  highest  esteem.  Again 
the  art  world  has  become  sufficiently  intelligent  to 
appreciate  their  surpassing  virtues. 

The  XIX  century  was  pre-eminent  mechanically, 
commercially,  scientifically,  and  politically,  but  not 
artistically.  It  not  only  failed  to  produce,  it  often 
failed  even  to  preserve. 

Rare  and  splendid  Gothic  works  of  art  like  the 
Hunting  Tapestries  at  Hardwicke  Hall  in  England 
were  cut  up  into  draperies;  or  into  bed-spreads  and 
floor  rugs,  like  the  wonderful  series  of  the  Apocalypse 
at  the  cathedral  of  Angers  in  France,  which  for  a 
time  was  even  used  in  the  greenhouse  of  the  Abbey 
of  Saint  Serge  to  protect  the  orange  trees  from  the 
cold. 

The  vandalism  began  during  the  French  Revolu- 
tion. On  November  30,  1793,  a  number  of  tapestries 
that  bore  feudal  or  anti-revolutionary  emblems  were 
burned   at  the   foot  of  the  Tree  of  Liberty.     Less 

15 


16  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

guilty  ones  were  sold  for  a  song.  Others  were 
forced    upon  creditors  in  settlement  of  State  debts. 

A  striking  example  of  this  and  one  of  particular 
interest  to  Americans  is  cited  by  Abbe  Pihan  in  his 
little  volume  entitled  "Beauvais."     He  says: 

"The  United  States  possesses  some  very  fine 
Beauvais  tapestries.  This  is  how:  The  Committee 
of  Safety  in  1793  imported  some  American  wheat, 
and  when  the  time  came  to  pay  proffered  assignats. 
Naturally  enough,  the  Yankees  objected.  But  there 
wasn't  any  money,  so  what  was  to  be  done?  Then 
they  offered  and  the  United  States  was  obliged  to 
accept  in  payment,  some  Beauvais  tapestries  and 
some  copies  of  the  Moniteur ." 

Possibly  these  tapestries  have  been  preserved  and 
still  adorn  American  homes  or  are  safely  stored  in 
American  attics.  Any  clue  to  their  whereabouts 
would  be  welcomed  by  the  writer. 

The  worst  was  yet  to  come.  By  1797  the  market 
for  tapestries  was  so  dead  that  the  French  Directory 
decided  it  would  pay  better  to  burn  those  containing 
gold  and  silver  than  to  sell  them.  This  was  done 
and  precious  metals  to  the  amount  of  about  $13,000 
(65,000  to  66,000  francs)  were  recovered. 

Such  stupidity  seems  incredible,  especially  in 
France,  the  home  of  the  arts.  In  a  few  minutes  190 
of  the  most  magnificent  tapestries  ever  woven  were 
annihilated.  To-day  they  would  bring  200  times 
$13,000,  and  in  a  few  years  many  times  more. 

Gothic  and  Renaissance  tapestries  of  good  weave 
and  design  and  in  good  condition,  are  now  a  better 


STORY  OF  MAN 

PLATE  no.  17.  Scenes  from  the  Story  of  Man,  or  the  Seven  Deadly  Sins  (See  chapter  XI),  a  Gothic  tapestry 
from  Langford  Hill,  Cornwall,  sold  in  London  in  igio  to  the  agent  of  Lord  Anglesey  for  £6600.  It  is  13  feet  4  by 
13  feet  9  and  is  part  of  one  of  the  set  of  nine  that  formerly  belonged  to  Cardinal  Wolsey,  three  of  which  still  hang 
at  Hampton  Court.  In  the  lower  right  corner,  King  David  bearing  a  scroll,  inscribed  in  Latin,  with  the  verse  from 
the  XLV  Psalm:  "  Gird  thyself  with  thy  sword  upon  thy  thigh,  O,  thou  most  mighty."  The  lady  in  the  foreground 
facing  him  is  Charity  as  shown  by  the  inscription  on  her  gown.  The  other  seven  richly  attired  ladies  are  the  Seven 
Deadly  Sins.  Envy  is  pictured  as  giving  up  her  gauntlet  to  Charity.  In  the  upper  right  corner  is  a  Knight  in 
armor  attended  by  the  Seven  Virtues,  of  whom  Charity  presents  him  with  a  banner  picturing  the  five  wounds  of 
Christ.  The  band  across  the  top  bearing  the  arms  of  Henry  VIII,  is  a  portion  of  the  frieze  made  for  the  Great 
Hall  of  Hampton  Court,  fragments  of  which  are  still  there. 


18  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

investment  than  any  other  form  of  ancient  art. 
Yet  the  present  prices  are  from  50  to  100  times  higher 
than  those  of  fifty  years  ago. 

In  1852  at  the  sale  of  the  effects  of  the  deposed 
French  King,  Louis-Philippe,  the  Hunts  of  Maxi- 
milian, in  ten  pieces  4.25  metres  high,  with  a  com- 
bined width  of  43.60  metres  (the  metre  being  a  little 
over  a  yard),  sold  for  6,200  francs,  which  is  about 
$7  a  square  yard  and  $124  apiece.  (Divide  francs 
by  5  to  get  dollars.)  The  Months  of  Lucas,  in  ten 
pieces  3.50  metres  by  43.50  metres,  brought  $8  a 
yard  and  $120  apiece.  The  Conquests  of  Louis 
XIV,  five  Gobelins  4.62  metres  by  25.65,  a  little 
over  $3  a  yard  and  $78  apiece.  The  Attributes  of 
Music,  a  Gobelin  of  the  period  of  Louis  XIV7,  3 
metres  by  2.70,  which  to-day  at  the  Gobelins  would 
keep  a  weaver  employed  for  eight  years,  sold  for  $80. 

Also  at  the  Louis-Philippe  sale,  six  Flemish  tapes- 
tries of  the  end  of  the  XVI  century,  representing  a 
coronation,  4  metres  by  26.25,  were  picked  up  by 
some  lucky  purchaser  for  $65  apiece.  Six  Flemish 
verdure  hunting  scenes,  also  of  the  XVI  century, 
3  metres  by  22.95,  f°r  $27  apiece. 

The  situation  improved  little  during  the  next 
fifteen  years.  In  1867  the  South  Kensington  Mu- 
seum paid  only  $50  for  a  Gothic  tapestry  1  foot  2  by 
8  feet  9^.  In  1859  only  $125  for  a  Gothic  tapestry 
11  feet  6  by  13  feet,  picturing  scenes  from  the  story 
of  Esther.  In  1866  only  $47  for  another  Gothic 
Esther  tapestry  10  feet  by  12  feet  9. 

But  by  1872  there  had  been  a  marked  improve- 


S  2 


20  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

ment  in  tapestry  values.  In  that  year  the  same 
museum  paid  $950  for  Susannah  and  the  Elders,  a 
splendid  Gothic  tapestry  13  feet  by  10  feet  10.  In 
1883  $5,000  for  the  Triumph  of  Fame,  a  Gothic 
tapestry  10  feet  by  26. 

At  the  De  Somzee  sale  in  Brussels  in  1901,  Roland 
at  Roncevaux,  a  wool  and  silk  Gothic  tapestry, 
3.78  metres  by  5.45,  sold  to  the  Brussels  Museum  for 
19,000  francs.  The  Passion  of  Christ,  in  three 
scenes,  a  Gothic  tapestry  in  wool  and  silk,  4.20 
metres  by  8.90,  to  the  Brussels  Museum  for  70,000 
francs.  The  Triumph  of  Christ,  a  Gothic  tapestry 
in  wool  and  silk,  3.75  metres  by  4.55,  to  the  Brussels 
Museum  for  28,000  francs.  The  Triumph  of  the 
Virgin  Mary,  a  late  Gothic  tapestry  in  wool  and  silk, 
4  metres  by  6.03,  sold  for  24,000  francs.  Bathsheba 
at  the  Fountain,  a  late  Gothic  tapestry  in  wool  and 
silk,  3.60  metres  by  6.50,  to  Wauters  for  75,000 
francs.  The  Triumph  of  Gluttony,  a  late  Gothic 
tapestry  in  wool,  silk,  and  gold  and  silver,  3.90 
metres  by  6.90,  to  Duyardin  for  7,500  francs.  Alex- 
ander Setting  Fire  to  the  Palace  of  Persepolis,  4.15 
metres  by  5,  a  tapestry  woven  at  Delft  in  the  year 
1619,  for  4,300  francs. 

The  De  Somzee  sale  totalled  88  tapestries  at 
$160,000.  The  same  tapestries  to-day  are  worth 
much  more,  despite  financial  conditions  unfavour- 
able during  the  past  ten  years  to  rapid  increase  of 
price,  and  within  the  next  twenty  years  will  be 
worth  twenty  times  as  much. 

At  the  Marquand  sale  in  New  York  in  1903,  the 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  21 

Madonna  with  Attendants,  a  Renaissance  tapestry 
8  feet  2  by  7  feet,  sold  for  $21,000.  An  Italian 
XVIII  century  tapestry  signed  by  Nouzou — one 
of  the  set  woven  in  Rome  from  1735  to  1739  by 
Nouzou  and  Ferloni,  of  which  the  Coles  collection 
of  the  Metropolitan  Museum  contains  several,  all 
of  which  illustrate  scenes  from  Tasso's  "Jerusalem 
Delivered,"  and  came  from  the  Hamilton  Palace 
sale  held  in  London  in  1882 — brought  $15,000,  which 
is  all  it  is  likely  ever  to  be  worth.  The  purchasers 
both  in  London  and  New  York  were  evidently  at- 
tracted by  the  ducal  name.  It  is  significant  that 
both  in  London  and  New  York,  this  tapestry  was 
catalogued  as  a  Gobelin.  The  New  York  price  was 
about  four  times  the  London  one. 

Also  at  the  Marquand  sale  three  Renaissance 
tapestries  brought  respectively  $4,600,  $4,500,  and 
$2,900.  The  sizes  were  9  feet  2  by  10  feet  6,  9  feet  2 
by  10  feet  4,  9  feet  2  by  6  feet  11.  The  first  pictured 
the  Queen  of  Sheba  before  Solomon,  the  last  two 
the  Triumph  of  David  after  killing  Goliath. 

At  the  White  sale  in  New  York  in  1907,  four 
fine  Renaissance  Grotesques  (often  incorrectly 
called  Arabesques)  sold  for  $5,100,  $3,600,  $3,200, 
and  $2,300,  respectively.  The  sizes  were  11  feet  8 
by  17  feet  2,  11  feet  8  by  8,  11  feet  8  by  8  feet  6,  11 
feet  5  by  7.  Commerce,  a  Brussels  XVIII  century 
tapestry  15  feet  3  by  19,  signed  by  D.  Leyniers, 
similar  in  weave  and  quite  equal  to  most  Gobelin  and 
Beauvais  tapestries  of  the  same  period,  was  pur- 
chased by  Robert  Goelet  for  $10,500. 


22  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

At  the  Polovtsoff  sale  in  Paris  in  1909,  the  Story  of 
Tobias,  six  Flemish  tapestries  3.35  metres  high  with 
combined  width  of  21.40  metres,  sold  for  24,700 
francs.  The  Temple  of  Venus,  three  Beauvais 
tapestries  4.20  metres  by  5,  4.15  metres  by  4.41, 
4.12  metres  by  3.28,  woven  in  1726  under  the  direc- 
tion of  De  Merou  after  cartoons  by  Duplessis,  brought 
299,100  francs. 

The  Seasons,  four  Gobelin  tapestries,  3.05  metres 
high  with  combined  width  of  7.95,  signed  by  Cozette, 
1 78 1,  brought  376,000  francs.  The  crowning  price 
of  the  sale  was  910,000  francs  paid  for  the  Loves 
of  the  Gods,  four  Beauvais  XVIII  century  tapestries 
woven  under  the  direction  of  Besnier,  Oudry,  and 
Charron  after  cartoons  by  Boucher:  Ariadne  and 
Bacchus  3.55  metres  by  8.20,  Mars  and  Venus  3.55 
metres  by  3.55,  Boreas  and  Orythia  3.55  metres  by 
3.60,   Vulcan  and  Venus  3.55  metres  by  6.75. 

At  the  Yerkes  sale  in  New  York  in  1910,  Neptune 
and  Amymone,  a  Gobelin  XVIII  century  tapestry 
10  feet  4  by  9  feet  1,  brought  $4,000.  Vulcan  and 
Venus,  a  Gobelin  XVIII  century  tapestry  10  feet 
3  by  8  feet  3,  signed  by  Audran,  $17,700.  The 
Rape  of  Europa,  a  Gobelin  XVIII  century  tapestry 
10  feet  6  by  8  feet  3,  $12,300.  Pluto  and  Proserpine, 
a  Gobelin  XVIII  century  tapestry  10  feet  6  by  8  feet 
7,  $5,200.  A  Brussels  XVII  century  tapestry  13 
feet  10  by  15  feet  6,  enriched  with  gold,  signed  with 
the  Brussels  mark  and  the  weaver's  monogram, 
M,  $6,600.  Six  Brussels  XVII  century  tapestries 
from  designs  in  the  style  of  Teniers,  one  of  them 


CUPID   AND   PSYCHE 

PLATE  no.  23.  The  Bath  of  Cupid  and  Psyche,  a  Louis  XIV  Gobelin  in  the  set  of  eight  entitled  Sujets  de  la  Fable, 
ifter  the  XVI  century  designs  of  Guilio  Romano  (See  chapter  VI).  It  is  signed  LEFEBVRE  (Lefevre)  and  is  in  the 
French  National  Collection.  The  dominant  color  in  both  border  and  panel  is  rose  against  which  the  flesh  tones  stand 
jut  with  wonderful  clearness  and  delicacy.  Note  the  double  L  monogram  of  Louis  XIV  in  the  cartouche  of  the  bot- 
:om  border. 


24  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

signed  P.  V.  D.  BORCHT,  the  smallest  9  feet  8  by 
2  feet  7,  $850;  the  largest  9  feet  10  by  12  feet  10, 
$4,300.  The  Gobelins  undoubtedly  sold  for  more 
because  they  had  formerly  been  in  the  collection  of 
the  Princess  de  Sagan. 

Among  other  interesting  prices  at  recent  public 
sales  were  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  after  the  Raphael 
cartoons,  seven  Brussels  XVIII  century  tapestries 
signed  D.  LEYNIERS,  at  Christie's  in  London  in 
i9iofor  £1,785.  (Multiply  pounds  by  5  to  get  dol- 
lars.) At  the  same  place  in  191 1,  ten  panels  of  old 
Brussels  tapestry  for  £9,502  10s,  about  $4,700  a  panel ; 
also,  the  Story  of  Diana,  six  Brussels  tapestries  for 
£1,207  10s.  At  the  Hotel  Drouot  in  Paris  in  191 1. 
two  Flemish  verdure  tapestries  for  25,000  francs; 
Chinese  Dining  and  Chinese  Dancing,  a  Beauvais 
tapestry  containing  two  scenes  from  the  series 
depicting  Chinese  life,  woven  for  the  first  time  in 
1743  under  the  direction  of  Besnier  and  Oudry  after 
sketches  by  Boucher,  sold  for  142,000  francs.  A 
Flemish  XVI  century  tapestry  picturing  a  tourna- 
ment in  a  park,  15,500  francs;  an  XVIII  century 
tapestry  showing  a  lady  and  a  gentleman  walking 
in  the  country,  24,100  francs;  Proserpine,  an  XVIII 
century  Spanish  tapestry  signed  by  L.  VAN  DER 
GOTTEN  of  Madrid,  21,200  francs. 

During  the  XIX  century  it  did  not  pay  to  weave 
reproductions  of  antique  tapestries.  It  was  cheaper 
to  buy  the  antiques  themselves. 

Now  all  that  is  changed,  and  we  may  expect  a 
period  of  great  prosperity  for  tapestry  looms  in  the 


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26  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

United  States  as  well  as  in  France  and  Italy  and 
England  and  Germany,  especially  if  the  museums 
and  the  private  collectors  who  own  the  masterpieces 
are  generous  in  allowing  them  to  be  copied,  and  do 
everything  in  their  power  to  supplement  the  Renais- 
sance of  tapestry  values,  by  a  Renaissance  of  tapestry 
weaving  according  to  the  methods  of  the  XV  and 
XVI  centuries. 

Many  persons  look  at  tapestries  as  if  they  were 
photographs  or  photographic  paintings,  obliged  to 
conform  to  the  limitations  imposed  by  mechanical 
perspective  and  shadow.  Thus  they  miss  the  real 
virtue  of  tapestry.  For  here  be  it  laid  down,  once 
for  all,  that  the  qualities  which  determine  excellence 
in  tapestry,  which  distinguish  a  good  tapestry  from 
a  bad  tapestry,  are  not  those  in  which  it  resembles 
painting,  but  those  in  which  it  is  unlike  painting. 

The  texture  of  tapestries  is  what  gives  them  their 
peculiar  excellence,  and  distinguishes  them  above  all 
other  textiles,  just  as  other  textiles  are  distinguished 
by  texture  qualities  that  raise  them  above  wood  and 
stone  and  brick  and  plaster  and  porcelain  and  paint 
and  the  metals.  In  which  connection  it  is  interesting 
to  note  that  the  word,  as  well  as  the  quality,  is 
primarily  associated  with  textiles,  texture  being  Latin 
for  weave. 

Not  that  I  would  deny  picture  interest  to  tapes- 
tries. Indeed,  they  possess  it  to  a  marked  degree. 
This  quality  they  do  share  with  photographs  and 
paintings. 

But  they  also  share  with  Oriental  rugs  the  texture 


28  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

interest  that  has  exalted  the  fame  of  Oriental  looms 
during  the  past  twenty  years,  making  them  the 
subject  of  books  and  magazine  articles  galore.  And 
Gothic  and  Renaissance  tapestries,  with  their  coarse, 
horizontal  ribs  and  long  and  slender  vertical  hatch- 
ings, possess  texture  interest  to  an  even  greater 
degree  than  rugs. 

In  other  words,  tapestry  has  a  more  interesting 
texture  than  any  other  material  in  the  world,  and 
one  capable  of  expressing  more  in  the  hands  of  the 
weaver  who  understands. 

THE  GOLDEN  AGE  OF  TAPESTRY 

The  Golden  Age  of  Tapestry  was  the  Gothic- 
Renaissance  Transition.  Then  the  weaver  was  all- 
powerful.  Sketches  and  cartoons  he  interpreted  freely 
into  tapestry  technique,  using  them  rather  as  sug- 
gestion than  as  orders.  With  wool  alone,  or  with 
wool  and  gold  and  silver,  and  little  or  no  silk,  he 
secured  effects  impossible  with  paint. 

With  the  full  Renaissance  of  the  XVI  century 
came  Raphael,  whose  cartoons,  illustrating  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles  for  Pope  Leo  X,  did  irreparable  harm 
to  the  art  of  telling  stories  decoratively  in  tapestry. 
After  him,  and  as  the  result  of  his  influence,  weavers 
were  urged  to  copy  paintings  slavishly  and  imitate 
paint  technique. 

The  best  tapestries  woven  in  the  XVII  century, 
at  Mortlake  and  the  Gobelins,  as  well  as  at  Brussels, 
were  from  XVI  century  cartoons,  but  with  woven 


QUEEN    OF    SHEBA 

PLATE  no.  20.  King  Solomon  and  the  Queen  of  Sheba,  an  exquisitely  beautiful  Flemish  Gothic  tapestry  at  the  Poldi 
zzoli  Museum  in  Milan.  It  illustrates  the  effectiveness  of  tapestry  texture  as  a  medium  for  the  expression  of  richly  pat- 
ned  textiles  and  robes. 


30  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

frames  in  deep  shadow  simulating  high  relief,  that 
replaced  the  rich  decorative  borders  of  the  Renais- 
sance. 

In  the  XVIII  century  the  victory  of  painters  over 
weavers  became  complete,  and  at  the  Gobelins  to 
Neilson,  with  his  much-improved  low-warp  loom, 
was  awarded  the  palm  over  the  high-warp  weavers, 
Audran  and  Cozette,  because  his  tapestries  were 
more  exact  copies  of  the  cartoons.  At  the  same 
time  was  introduced  the  type  of  tapestry  illustrated 
by  Charles  Coypel's  Don  Quixote  series,  with  tiny 
picture  inside  a  large  damasse  mat  and  double  gilt 
frame,  all  woven. 

Most  XVIII  century  tapestries  are  comparatively 
small  and  adapted  for  use  in  modern  rooms  and 
apartments.  This  has  made  them  popular,  and  they 
often  sell  for  prices  that  are  as  much  too  high  as  the 
prices  of  XV  and  XVI  century  tapestries  are  too 
low.  Tapestries  in  bad  condition  that  have  been 
repaired  too  much  or  too  little,  are  also  apt  to  sell 
for  more  than  they  are  worth,  especially  at  public 
sales.  The  same  is  true  of  antique  tapestries  of 
inferior  weave  and  design,  and  also  of  the  imitation 
jacquard  picture  tapestries. 

Apparently  to  some  persons  all  tapestries  look 
alike.  I  hope  this  volume  will  help  them  to  realize 
that  weave  merit — not  age  or  the  name  of  the  de- 
signer— distinguishes  good  tapestries  from  bad  tapes- 
tries, and  the  masterpieces  from  the  throng.  It 
is  weave  merit  that  establishes  extraordinary  value 
for  the  Seven  Sacraments  belonging  to  the  Metropoli- 


PLATE  no.  31.  A  Gobelin  tapestry  designed  by  F.  EHRMANN,  whose  signature  appears  in  the  lower  right  corner  of  the 
id,  and  presented  by  France  to  Miss  Alice  Roosevelt  on  the  occasion  of  her  marrriage  to  Mr.  Nicholas  Longworth.  The  tapestry 
[5  feet  4  by  8  feet  6,  and  now  hangs  in  the  entrance  hall  of  the  Cincinnati  Museum,  to  which  it  has  been  lent  by  Mrs. 
ngworth,  by  whose  permission  it  is  reproduced  on  this  'page.  The  subject  is  "  The  Manuscript "  and  as  the  inscription 
>w  the  portraits  in  the  side  borders  are  those  of  Fra  Angelico  and  Jean  Fouquet.  The  Gobelin  mark — a  G  pierced  with  a  broche 
ippears  in  the  tiny  cartouche  in  the  base  of  each  of  the  side  borders,  the  R  F  of  the  Re'publique  Francaise  in  the  cartouche 
the  top  border. 


32  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

tan  Museum;  for  Mr.  J.  Pierpont  Morgan's  Mazarin 
tapestry,  entitled  the  Triumph  of  Christ,  and  rich 
with  wool  and  gold  and  silver  and  silk;  for  Mr. 
George  Blumenthal's  two  Herse  tapestries,  also  rich 
with  gold  and  silver,  and  also  on  exhibition  at  the 
Metropolitan  Museum. 


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CHAPTER  II 

Gothic  Tapestries 

The  Golden  Age  of  Tapestries  was  the  Gothic- 
Renaissance  Transition — the  last  half  of  the  XV 
century  and  the  first  half  of  the  XVI  century — the 
hundred  years  during  which  Renaissance  tapestries 
began  and  Gothic  tapestries  ceased  to  be  woven, 
while  many  of  the  greatest  tapestries  were  of  mixed 
style,  like  the  Story  of  the  Virgin  at  Reims. 

Undoubtedly  many  splendid  tapestries  were  woven 
in  the  XIV  century.  Already  the  French-Flemish 
city  of  Arras  had  acquired  such  fame  for  the  manu- 
facture of  them  as  to  give  its  name  to  the  product, 
a  name  that  still  survives  in  England  and  Italy, 
where  tapestries  are  called  arras  and  arazzi  respect- 
ively. But  of  the  splendid  XIV  century  tapestries 
only  one  large  set  has  survived,  and  that  in  a  muti- 
lated condition,  after  having  been  subjected  to  brutal 
treatment  at  the  hands  of  XVIII  and  XIX  century 
vandals.  I  refer  to  the  famous  set  of  seven  immense 
tapestries  at  the  Cathedral  of  Angers,  picturing  the 
Apocalypse. 

There  are  to  be  sure  the  fragments  attributed  to 
the  XII  century,  formerly  belonging  to  the  church 
of  Saint  Gereon  in  Cologne,  but  now  shared  by  the 
museums  of  Lyons,  Nuremberg,  and  South  Kensing- 
ton (See  plate  no.  35).      Large  circular  medallions 

33 


34  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

on  a  brownish-blue  ground  represent,  in  tones  of 
light  ivory,  a  winged  griffin  with  eagle  above  and 
bull  below.  The  design  is  clearly  of  Byzantine 
origin,  but  the  crudeness  of  the  weave  indicates  an 
Occidental  maker. 

Then  there  are  the  three  quaint  XII  or  XIII 
century  tapestries  preserved  in  the  Cathedral  of 
Halberstadt  and  perhaps  of  local  manufacture. 
Two  of  these  tapestries  are  3  feet  7  inches  high  and 
about  30  feet  long — narrow  bands  intended  to  hang 
above  the  choir  stalls.  The  first  pictures  Christ 
and  the  Apostles.  The  identity  of  each  of  the 
apostles  and  of  the  angels  Michael  and  Gabriel  on 
either  side  of  Christ  is  made  certain  by  woven 
captions.  The  second  pictures  the  Story  of  Abraham 
and  Isaac. 

The  third  differs  completely  from  the  first  two  in 
subject,  composition,  and  shape.  It  is  nearly  square, 
a  little  higher  than  wide,  with  several  inches  missing 
from  the  top.  In  the  centre  is  pictured  Charlemagne 
on  his  throne,  crowned,  sceptre  in  hand,  a  rich 
cushion  beneath  his  feet.  In  the  corners  of  the  panel 
the  four  philosophers — Socrates  and  Plato  in  the 
upper  corners,  with  heads  and  captions  missing  but 
part  of  the  inscription  remaining;  in  the  lower 
corners  Cato  and  Seneca,  with  names  woven  above 
them,  bearing  a  long  scroll  inscribed  in  Latin.  Cato 
says:  Denigrat  meritum  dantis  mora  (Delay  in  giving 
spoils  the  merit  of  the  service).  Seneca  replies: 
Qui  cito  dat  bis  dat  (He  who  gives  quickly,  gives 
twice).     The  general  effect  of  all  three  tapestries  is 


SAINT  GEREON  FRAGMENT 

PLATE  no.  35.  Saint  Gereon  Fragment  in  the  Lyons  Museum  (See  chapter  II).  One  of  several  fragments 
of  patterned  tapestry  attributed  to  the  XII  century,  formerly  in  the  church  of  Saint  Gereon  in  Cologne, 
and  now  shared  by  the  museums  of  Lyons,  Nuremberg,  and  South  Kensington.  Large  circular  medallions 
on  a  brownish-blue  ground  represent  in  tones  of  light  ivory,  a  winged  griffin  with  eagle  above  and  bull  be- 
low. The  design  is  clearly  of  Byzantine  origin,  but  the  crudeness  of  the  weave  indicates  an  Occidental  maker. 


36  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

like  that  of  stained  glass  of  the  period,  the  outlines 
being  accentuated  in  brown  much  as  the  stained- 
glass  outlines  are  accentuated  by  the  leads. 

That  the  famous  Bayeux  tapestry  picturing  the 
invasion  of  England  by  the  Normans  is  not  a  tapestry 
at  all  but  an  embroidery  is  now  a  matter  of  common 
knowledge.  Other  fabrics  long  cited,  but  wrongly, 
as  early  examples  of  tapestry-weaving  are  the  five 
hangings  said  to  have  been  executed  by  Agnes  II, 
Abbess  of  Quedlimburg  (i  184-1203),  and  her  nuns. 
These  are  not  tapestries,  but  have  a  pile  surface 
made  by  knotting,  after  the  fashion  of  Oriental 
rugs.  They  picture  the  Marriage  of  Mercury  and 
of  Philology,  with  Latin  inscriptions.  There  is  no 
trace  of  Oriental  influence  in  the  designs.  Still 
another  fabric  long  wrongly  cited  as  an  early  tapestry 
is  the  embroidery  in  the  Cathedral  of  Gerona,  in 
Spain,  12  feet  high  by  13^  wide,  picturing  the 
Creation.  In  the  Brussels  Museum  there  is  a  small 
tapestry,  5  feet  by  9K  (See  plate  no.  37),  of  the 
second  half  of  the  XIV  century  that  resembles  the 
Apocalypse  set  closely  in  both  design  and  technique. 
Warp  as  well  as  weft  are  entirely  of  wool.  The 
subject  is  the  Presentation  of  the  Infant  Jesus  at 
the  Temple.  It  was  discovered  by  a  Spanish  painter, 
Senor  Leo  y  Escosura,  whose  studio  it  long  adorned. 
It  attracted  much  attention  at  the  Union  Centrale 
Tapestry  Exposition  in  Paris  in  1876,  and  at  the 
Exposition  des  Primitifs  Francais  in  1904. 

The  famous  Apocalypse  of  the  Cathedral  of 
Angers,  mentioned  above,  is  one  of  the  most  remark- 


38  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

able  sets  of  tapestry  ever  woven.  Originally  there 
were  7  pieces  showing  90  separate  and  distinct  scenes, 
18  feet  high  with  a  combined  width  of  472  feet — in 
other  words,  8,496  square  feet  or  944  square  yards 
of  intricately  woven  picture  tapestry.  Some  of  the 
90  scenes  contain  more  than  25  personages.  To-day 
the  height  is  only  14  feet,  and  the  total  width  328 
feet.  The  floriated  bands  at  top  and  bottom,  and 
the  inscriptions  beneath  the  scenes,  have  worn 
away  during  the  course  of  500  years.  Of  the  90 
scenes,  70  remain  intact,  and  there  are  fragments 
of  8  others,  while  12  have  entirely  disappeared 
(See  plate  no.  39). 

About  the  origin  of  these  tapestries  we  fortunately 
have  the  most  complete  information.  The  Duke  of 
Anjou,  brother  of  Charles  V,  who  was  King  of  France 
from  1364  to  1380,  had  them  made  to  hang  in  the 
chapel  of  his  chateau  at  Angers.  The  cartoonist 
was  Hennequin  de  Bruges,  also  called  Jean  de 
Bruges,  Charles  the  V's  court  painter,  whom  the 
Duke  of  Anjou  borrowed  for  the  pupose,  together 
with  an  illustrated  manuscript  of  the  Apocalypse, 
which  is  now  in  the  Public  Library  of  the  City  of 
Cambrai.  The  painter  received  instructions  to 
follow  the  manuscript  illustrations  closely,  and  did 
so,  executing  the  cartoons  on  large  pieces  of  canvas. 

The  earlier  tapestries  of  the  set  were  woven  in 
Paris  in  the  factory  of  Nicolas  Bataille,  who  received, 
as  the  Treasury  books  of  the  Duke  show,  3,000  francs 
for  three  of  the  tapestries,  which  is  at  the  rate  of  1 ,000 
francs  apiece,  or  about  a  franc  a  square  foot.     The 


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40  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

value  of  the  franc  then  was  about  $10.     Consequent- 
ly the  total  cost  of  the  tapestries  was  about  $60,000. 

When  tapestries  went  out  of  fashion  at  the  end 
of  the  XVIII  century,  the  Canons  of  the  Cathedral 
of  Angers  decided  to  sell  the  Apocalypse  tapestries 
which  had  been  presented  to  the  Cathedral  in  1480 
by  King  Rene.  But  no  purchaser  could  be  found. 
So  against  their  will  they  were  obliged  to  retain  their 
greatest  treasure.  Not  believing  that  anything 
Gothic  could  be  beautiful,  they  decided  to  make  the 
Apocalypse  tapestries  useful.  They  employed  them 
in  the  greenhouse  to  protect  orange-trees  from  the 
cold.  They  spread  them  over  parquet  floors  while 
the  ceilings  were  being  painted.  They  cut  them  up 
into  rugs  and  used  them  as  carpet  lining.  They 
even  nailed  them  in  strips  on  the  stalls  of  the 
bishop's  stable,  to  prevent  the  horses  from  bruising 
themselves. 

Finally,  in  1843,  a  sale  was  effected.  These 
priceless  examples  of  the  art  of  the  XIV  century 
brought  300  francs — $60.  Fortunately  the  purchaser 
was  wiser  than  the  administration,  and  restored 
them  to  the  Cathedral,  of  which  they  are  once 
again  the  chief  glory.  There  is  a  full  set  of  photo- 
graphs of  the  set  in  the  Avery  Library  at  Columbia 
University,  and  also  in  the  Library  of  the  Metropoli- 
tan Museum. 

Five  of  the  seven  tapestries  had  originally  15 
scenes  each,  of  which  the  first  was  a  personage  seated 
in  a  Gothic  pavilion  reading  from  a  book  or  manu- 
script containing  obviously  the  Gospel  of  Revelation 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  41 

(Apocalypse).  The  other  14  scenes  were  placed  in 
pairs  one  above  the  other  and  illustrated  subjects 
from  the  Apocalypse.  The  second  and  the  third 
tapestries  together  had  only  15  scenes  but  similarly 
arranged. 

Behind  the  back  and  above  the  head  of  the  per- 
sonage in  scene  1  of  tapestry  I,  a  rich  fabric  figured 
with  fleurs-de-lis  and  quatre-foils  inside  diamonds. 
Fluttering  in  the  air  butterflies  whose  wings  bear 
the  arms  of  Anjou  and  of  Brittany.  On  the  roof  of 
the  pavilion  two  angels  carrying  banners,  showing, 
one  the  arms  of  Anjou,  the  other  the  cross  of  Lorraine. 
Scene  2  pictures  Saint  John  listening  to  the  Voice, 
and  taking  up  the  book  in  which  he  is  to  write  his 
vision,  to  be  sent  to  the  Seven  Churches  that  are 
pictured  in  front  of  him,  guarded  by  seven  angels. 
Scene  no.  3  pictures  Christ  seated  on  a  Throne, 
surrounded  by  seven  candles,  holding  a  sword  in 
His  mouth,  and  with  seven  red  stars  in  His  right 
hand.  Saint  John  is  prostrate  at  His  feet.  Scene  no. 
4  pictures  Saint  John  at  the  threshold  of  an  open 
door  watching  Christ,  around  whom  a  rainbow  forms 
a  halo.  Seven  lamps  hang  at  the  height  of  His  face. 
The  four  animals  symbolic  of  the  evangelists  accom- 
pany him  disposed  in  the  traditional  medieval  order 
— man,  eagle,  lion,  calf.  The  24  Sages  are  lined  up 
on  either  side,  on  the  left  the  prophets,  on  the  right 
the  apostles,  whose  lilies  in  blossom  symbolise  the 
kingdom  of  the  world,  the  perfume  of  the  virtues, 
and  the  integrity  of  the  faith. 

By  the  beginning  of  the  XV  century  the  art  of 


42  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

weaving  picture  hangings  had  reached  a  high  point 
of  perfection.  Kings  and  great  nobles  vied  with  one 
another  in  the  ownership  of  magnificent  sets  rich 
with  gold,  and  when  they  wished  to  make  presents, 
could  find  none  more  splendid  to  give  or  welcome  to 
receive  than  Arras  tapestries. 

When  the  French  King  Charles  V  died  in  1380,  he 
left  behind  him  sets  of  the  Passion  of  Our  Lord,  the 
Life  of  Saint  Denis,  the  Life  of  Saint  Theseus.  His 
brother  the  Duke  of  Anjou  in  addition  to  the 
Apocalypse  had  an  Annunciation  of  Our  Lady  with 
the  Three  Kings,  a  Life  of  Saint  Catherine,  a  Saint 
George,  and  a  Saint  George  Fighting  with  the 
Saracens.  His  brother  the  Duke  of  Burgundy,  in 
J395>  bought  of  Jacques  Dourdin,  as  a  present  for 
the  King  of  England,  a  Crucifixion,  a  Calvary,  a 
Death  of  the  Virgin.  In  1398  he  sent  the  Miracles 
of  Saint  Antoine  to  the  King  of  Aragon.  On  his 
death,  in  1404,  the  inventory  of  his  estate  shows  a 
Coronation  of  the  Virgin,  enriched  with  gold;  a 
Life  of  Saint  Margaret,  a  Life  of  Saint  George,  the 
Story  of  Saint  Denis,  all  enriched  with  Cyprus  gold. 
The  King's  other  brother,  the  Duke  of  Berri,  was 
especially  an  amateur  of  tapestries.  The  inventory 
of  his  estate,  in  1416,  shows  a  "tapis  de  l'ouvrage 
d'Arras,  historie  a  images  d'or  et  de  soye,  du  Tres- 
passement  de  notre  Dame,"  estimated  at  172  livres; 
an  Apocalypse  set  without  gold,  the  Short  Credo 
and  the  Long  Credo  with  gold,  a  Coronation  of  the 
Virgin  enriched  with  gold  and  silver,  the  Trinity 
also  with  gold  and  silver,  a  Magdalen.     According 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  43 

to  the  inventory  all  of  these  were  woven  at  Arras. 
Referring  to  the  inventory  of  the  French  Royal  tap- 
estries captured  and  sold  by  the  English  from  1422 
to  1435,  M.  Guiffrey  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that 
the  pieces  attributed  to  Arras  contain  the  precious 
metals,  while  those  attributed  to  Paris  seem  to  be 
more  ordinary  work  in  cheaper  materials. 

Of  tapestries  woven  at  Arras,  however,  there  re- 
mains only  one  set  that  can  be  positively  identified, 
the  Story  of  Saint  Piat  and  Saint  Eleuthere  at  the 
Cathedral  of  Tournai  in  Belgium.  But  as  if  to 
make  up  for  our  lack  of  information  about  other 
ancient  tapestries  that  may  have  been  woven  at 
Arras,  we  not  only  know  that  the  Saint  Piat  and 
Saint  Eleuthere  tapestries  were  woven  there,  but 
we  also  know  the  exact  month  and  year  of  their 
completion,  the  name  of  the  maker,  and  the  name  of 
the  donor.  For  one  of  the  pieces  now  lost  bore  the 
following  inscription  which  was  fortunately  copied 
and  preserved  by  XVIII  century  writers: 

Ces  draps  furent  faicts  et  acheves 

En  Arras  par  Pierrot  Fere 

Van  mil  quatre  cent  et  deux 

En  Decembre  mois  gracieux 
and  a  little  lower  down: 

Veuillez  a  Dieu  tons  saincts  prier 

Pour  Vame  de  Toussaint  Prier. 
which  translated  read: 

These  cloths  were  made  and  completed 

In  Arras  by  Pierrot  Fere 

The  year  one  thousand  four  hundred  two 


44  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

In  December  gracious  month 

Will  all  the  saints  kindly  pray  to  God 

For  the  soul  of  Toussaint  Prier? 

This  Toussaint  Prier  who  gave  the  tapestries  to 
the  Cathedral  of  Tournai  was  a  canon  there  in  1402, 
but  later  became  chaplain  to  Philip  the  Good  and 
died  October  15,  1437. 

While  the  colours  are  much  faded  and  greyed,  they 
still  preserve  a  certain  freshness,  and  these  tapestries 
are,  as  documents  in  tapestry  history,  second  in 
importance  to  the  Angers  Apocalypse  only.  The 
material  is  wool  without  gold  or  silk.  The  borders 
are  later  additions.  Originally  there  were  eighteen 
scenes  picturing  the  Lives  and  Miracles  of  Saint 
Piat  and  Saint  Eleuthere,  all  with  French  inscrip- 
tions above.  Of  the  eighteen,  only  fifteen  survive, 
in  four  pieces,  6  feet  10  inches  high  with  a  combined 
width  of  71  feet  8  inches. 

The  subjects  of  the  three  missing  pieces  were: 
the  Beheading  of  Saint  Piat,  the  People  of  Tournai 
accompanying  the  body  of  Saint  Piat  to  Seclin,  the 
Miracle  at  Seclin  when  the  Body  of  Saint  Piat 
arrived  there  (See  page  182  of  Pinchart  Flemish, 
who  gives  a  photographic  illustration  of  one  of  the 
surviving  pieces).  The  subjects  of  the  six  Saint 
Piat  scenes  that  survive  are:  Mission  of  Saint 
Piat  and  his  Eleven  Companions,  His  arrival  at 
Tournai  during  a  Sacrifice  of  Lambs  to  an  Idol, 
His  Preaching  before  the  parents  and  grandparents 
of  Saint  Eleuthere,  Destruction  of  Idols  in  con- 
sequence of  his  Preaching,  Laying  the  Corner-stone 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  45 

of  the  Cathedral  of  Tournai,  Baptism  of  the  parents 
and  grandparents  of  Saint  Eleuthere.  The  subjects 
of  the  nine  scenes  picturing  the  Life  of  Saint  Eleuthere 
are:  Saint  Eleuthere  Baptises  Pagans,  His  depart- 
ure for  Rome,  Reception  by  the  Pope,  He  is  Crowned 
Bishop,  Death  of  Blande  the  Tribune's  daughter 
who  fell  in  love  with  Him,  He  restores  Her  to  Life 
in  the  presence  of  Her  Father  and  Soldiers,  He 
Baptises  Her,  Ravages  of  the  Plague  among  the 
Pagans,  Blande's  Father  wishes  to  recover  her  from 
the  Christians. 

The  most  important  Early  XV  century  tapestry 
in  the  United  States,  and  one  that  deserves  to  be 
mentioned  side  by  side  with  the  treasures  of  Angers 
and  of  Tournai,  is  the  Burgundian  Sacraments 
presented  to  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  New 
York  by  Mr.  Morgan  and  described  in  chapter  XVI. 
Of  the  original  fourteen  scenes,  only  seven  remain, 
in  five  fragments,  with  inscriptions  misplaced.  An 
unusual  feature  of  the  tapestry  is  the  brick  wall 
border  with  floriation  outside  (See  plates  nos.  46, 
47).  The  tapestry  was  originally  about  17  feet  high 
by  38  feet  wide.  A  large  size  this  when  compared 
with  XVIII  century  Gobelin  Don  Quixote  panels, 
but  not  when  compared  with  the  Apocalypse,  or 
with  the  now  lost  Battle  of  Rosebecke  that  was 
recorded  in  an  inventory  of  the  Emperor  Charles  Y 
in  1536  as  "very  old  and  full  of  holes."  This  Battle 
was  ordered  by  Philip  the  Bold  Duke  of  Burgundy, 
of  Michel  Bernard,  and  was  delivered  by  the  latter 
in   1387,  five  years  after  this  famous  victory  of  the 


ft* 


mm  e  ■■iwraturf  -  -^  m™  w&Kur  iiwatuwraamr  •  crarfffivw  fw 

At  ou  Cat  Umm  $mj$  -  ,.   .««ftnwriira  ft  ttm&rt'  -  ct  k  rfo  icssMMk 
w'5f'  v$tim  mj  -  n      J   ?<voi)  It'  pamjrrbr  hfr  •  qui  fa  mams  far  -  <f- 


PLATES  no.  46.  47.  The  Burgundian  Sacraments  tapestry  given  to  the  Metropolitan  Museum  by  Mr.  Morgan,  consists 
of  seven  scenes  in  five  fragments,  two  of  which  are  mounted  wrong  side  out.  In  my  illustrations  these  two  fragments  have  been 
reversed  by  the  photographer,  and  all  of  the  five  fragments,  at  least  two  of  which  have  pulled  out  of  shape  during  the  centuries, 
have  been  assembled  as  nearly  as  possible  in  their  original  relative  position.  Originally  the  tapestry  contained  fourteen 
scenes,  the  upper  seven  illustrating  the  origin  of  the  Seven  Sacraments,  the  lower  seven  .the  Seven  Sacraments  as  cele- 


brated  in  the  XV  century.  Between  the  upper  and  the  lower  scenes  or  possibly  above  the  upper  scenes  ran  a  descriptive 
series  of  French  verses  in  Gothic  letters.  For  transcription  and  translation  of  the  captions  and  other  information  about  the 
oldest  and  most  interesting  tapestry  at  the  Museum,  see  chapter  XVI.  For  the  "point  of  view"  see  chapter  XIII,  and  for  the 
original  size  see  chapter  II. 


48  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

French  over  the  Flemish.  The  cartoon  cost  200 
gold  francs  and  the  cost  of  weaving  was  1,600  gold 
francs.  It  was  worked  in  Cyprus  gold  and  silver 
on  a  verdure  ground.  The  dimensions  were  7% 
aunes  high  by  56  long — about  i6}4  feet  by  126,  if 
the  aunes  were  Flemish  aunes  as  seems  probable. 
If  they  were  French  aunes,  as  M.  Guiffrey  thinks, 
then  the  dimensions  were  about  28  feet  by  207. 
At  any  rate  the  tapestry  was  so  unwieldy  that,  in 
1402,  it  was  divided  into  three  pieces  and  later  each 
of  these  pieces  was  divided  in  two. 

Among  the  most  interesting  Gothic  tapestries  are 
the  verdures,  with  or  without  personages,  often 
described  in  modern  sale  catalogues  as  mille-fleur 
tapestries.  Gothic  verdures  are  in  method  and 
character  entirely  different  from  Renaissance  and 
later  verdures.  The  Gothic  verdures  are  in  effect 
flat  outline  drawings  coloured  up — a  forest  of  flowers 
and  herbage  and  foliage  inhabited  by  birds  and 
animals — strongly  resembling  many  of  the  XV 
century  Persian  rugs.  The  Renaissance  verdures 
introduce  heavily  shaded  leaves  and,  in  achieving 
the  realistic,  lose  much  of  the  decorative. 

Of  these  Gothic  verdures  with  personages,  I  know 
of  none  more  fascinating  than  the  Lady  with  the 
Unicorn,  a  set  of  six  at  the  Cluny  Museum  (See 
plate  no.  49).  What  the  story  is  no  one  knows. 
There  is  absolutely  nothing  to  justify  the  tradition 
that  gives  them  an  Oriental  origin  and  connects 
them  with  Zizim,  younger  son  of  Mohammed  II, 
said  to  have  been  banished  by  Bajazet  and  given  a 


THE    LADY    WITH    THE    UNICORN 

PLATE  no.  49.  The  Lady  with  the  Unicorn.  Late  Gothic  tapestry  at  the  Cluny  Museum.  One  of  a 
set  of  6  described  in  the  chapter  on  Gothic  tapestries.  Size  3.70  metres  by  2.90.  The  lady,  wearing  a 
turban  enriched  with  pearls  and  an  aigrette,  plays  an  organ  whose  posts  are  crowned  with  a  tiny  lion  and  a 
tiny  unicorn.  The  maid  works  the  bellows.  On  one  side  of  the  pretty  scene,  a  lion  upholds  the  standard 
of  the  house  of  Le  Viste,  on  the  other  a  unicorn.  Fascinating  is  the  "mille  fleur"  floriation  that  fills  all  the 
ground  of  the  tapestry  Fascinating  too  the  little  animals — dogs,  rabbits,  fox,  lamb  that  adorn  it,  with 
birds  above. 


50  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

refuge  in  France  in  1484  by  Pierre  d'Aubusson, 
Lord  of  Boussac  and  Grand  Master  of  Rhodes. 
Nor  can  we  treat  as  fact  the  charming  fiction  of 
George  Sand's  "  Jeanne  "  published  in  1844  that  has 
the  tapestries  woven  by  order  of  Pierre  d'Aubusson 
as  a  present  to  the  lady  of  the  house  of  Le  Viste, 
whose  marriage  had  made  her  chatelaine  of  Boussac. 
But  we  do  know  that  the  coat  of  arms  so  often  re- 
peated on  the  tapestries — a  red  shield  carrying  a 
diagonal  band  of  blue  with  three  silver  crescents — 
is  that  of  the  Le  Viste  family,  lords  of  Fresne  who 
gave  a  president  to  the  Paris  Parlement;  that  the 
tapestries  once  adorned  the  Chateau  de  Boussac  in 
Central  France  not  far  from  Aubusson;  and  that  in 
1882  they  were  presented  to  the  Cluny  Museum  by 
the  municipal  authorities  of  Boussac  who  had 
acquired  them  in  1837  with  the  Chateau,  that  is 
still  in  a  good  state  of  preservation  and  that  from  a 
lofty  rock  dominates  the  valley  of  the  Little  Creuse. 
The  central  figure  of  the  six  tapestries  that  are 
12  feet  2  inches  high,  and  from  9  feet  6  inches  to 
14  feet  wide,  is  a  richly  gowned  lady  with  jewelled 
necklaces  and  bracelets.  Beside  her  a  young  lady 
also  richly  gowned  who  attends  upon  her.  On  most 
of  the  tapestries,  a  lion  and  a  unicorn  supporting 
with  their  paws  the  standard  of  the  house  of  Le 
Viste,  frame  the  central  scene.  The  ground  is 
crowded  with  detached  trees,  bushes,  herbage  and 
flowers,  dogs,  rabbits,  monkeys,  foxes  and  birds. 
The  subjects  of  the  tapestries  are:  The  Lady  with 
a  falcon  on  her  left  hand,  taking  a  jewelled  cup  of 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  51 

dainties  from  her  attendant;  the  Lady  plaiting  a 
crown  of  roses;  the  Lady,  wearing  a  turban  enriched 
with  pearls  and  aigrette,  plays  an  organ  that  her 
attendant  pumps;  the  Lady,  standing  before  a  blue 
and  gold  damask  tent  bearing  the  device  A  mon 
scnl  desir,  takes  from  her  attendant  a  richly  worked 
golden  chain;  the  Lady,  standing  holds  the  Le 
Viste  standard  in  her  right  hand,  and  in  her  left  the 
horn  of  the  unicorn;  the  Lady  wearing  a  brocaded 
robe,  and  on  her  head  a  string  of  pearls  with  aigrette, 
seated  between  the  Lion  and  the  Unicorn,  holds 
before  the  latter  a  beautiful  mirror. 

The  unicorn,  it  should  be  explained,  is  a  fabulous 
animal  symbolic  of  chastity.  Geliot,  in  1535,  de- 
scribed it  as  "loving  chastity  to  such  an  extent  that 
naturalists  maintain  the  only  way  to  capture  it  is  to 
place  a  virgin  where  it  is  accustomed  to  go  for  drink 
and  food.     As  soon  as  it  sees  her,  it  will  run  to  her." 

Other  important  Gothic  verdures  are  the  three 
fragments,  the  Baillee  des  Roses  in  the  Metropolitan 
Museum  described  in  chapter  XVI  and  one  of  them 
illustrated  on  plate  no.  53;  the  Concert  in  the 
Gobelin  Museum,  illustrated  on  plate  no.  327;  the 
Heroine  (Preuse)  Penthesilea  at  the  Cathedral  of 
Angers;  the  Instruments  of  the  Passion  at  the 
Cathedral  of  Angers;  the  Knight  Armed  by  the 
Ladies,  illustrated  on  page  63  of  Guiffrey  Seizieme; 
Shepherd  and  Shepherdesses,  illustrated  on  page  57 
of  Guiffrey  Seizieme;  the  Arms  of  Charles  the  Bold, 
in  the  Berne  Historical  Museum;  a  Walk  in  the 
Country,  in  the  Musee  des  Arts  Decoratifs;    Saint 


52  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Louis  of  Toulouse,  in  the  Heilbronner  Collection;  a 
Knight  leading  a  Lady's  Horse,  in  the  George 
Blumenthal  Collection;  a  Boy  between  two  Ladies, 
in  the  Martin  Le  Roy  Collection;  Equestrian  Por- 
trait of  Charles  VIII  in  the  Schickler  Collection; 
the  Gentleman  with  the  Crane,  sold  at  the  Robb  Sale 
1912,  for  $15,000. 

A  little  later  in  style,  with  sky  breaking  down 
into  the  upper  part  of  the  panels  and  producing  a 
realistic  out-of-door  effect,  is  the  set  of  six  in  the 
Chateau  de  Verteuil  called  Hunting  the  Unicorn. 
It  is  rich  with  gold,  and  while  in  the  Lady  with  the 
Unicorn  set,  the  Unicorn  was  of  secondary  importance 
to  the  Lady,  in  this  set  the  Unicorn  holds  the  centre 
of  the  stage,  and  is  pictured  as  struggling  bravely 
and  defending  itself  with  hoofs  and  horn,  but 
finally  overcome  by  pitiless  huntsmen.  All  the 
phases  of  the  pursuit  are  figured  one  after  the  other, 
and  in  the  last  scene  the  lifeless  body  of  the  spotless 
animal  is  offered  as  a  glorious  trophy  to  the  lord  and 
lady  who  presided  over  the  meet.  Who  the  lord 
and  lady  are  it  is  impossible  to  say,  in  spite  of  the 
two  initials,  A  and  E,  that  joined  by  a  cord  appear 
five  times  on  each  of  the  pieces — in  the  four  corners 
and  in  the  sky.  Interesting  to  compare  with  this 
set  are  Saint  Martin  in  the  Martin  Le  Roy  Collection, 
the  fragment  of  a  Hunting  Scene  in  the  Heilbronner 
Collection,  and  the  fragment  of  a  Hunting  Scene  in 
the  Hoentschel  Collection.  All  are  full  of  life  and 
action,  and  in  all  the  personages  are  flesh  and 
blood  men  and  women. 


54  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Even  more  interesting  from  the  human  and  daily 
life  point  of  view  are  five  Late  Gothic  fragments  in  a 
New  York  private  collection,  which  picture  sheep- 
shearing  scenes  below  and  hunting  scenes  above,  with 
castles  and  a  narrow  line  of  sky  in  the  background. 
In  two  of  the  shepherd  scenes  are  bagpipes,  and  in 
one  six  shepherds  and  shepherdesses  are  forming  a 
ring  to  dance.  In  one  a  dog  holds  a  struggling  duck 
in  his  mouth.  In  another  a  shepherdess  is  in  the 
act  of  shearing  a  struggling  sheep,  while  a  fool  stands 
by  with  jester's  staff  and  a  shepherd  pours  wine  into 
a  flat  cup.  The  shepherd  scenes  are  grounded  with 
Gothic  floriation  below  and  trees  above.  There  are 
wattled  fences  and  a  fold  for  the  sheep.  All  of  the 
shepherds  and  shepherdesses  carry  clipping  shears 
and  other  tools  attached  at  the  waist.  In  the  hunt- 
ing scenes  there  are  gentlemen  and  ladies  on  horse- 
back, some  mounted  double,  hunting-dogs  and 
falcons.     A  river,  with  boats  and  geese,  adds  reality. 

To  this  set  of  fragments  undoubtedly  belongs  the 
Sheep  Shearing  fragment,  1.65  metres  by  2.24  in  the 
Brussels  Museum,  illustrated  on  plate  no.  55,  and 
perhaps  the  Hunt  with  Falcon  fragment  in  the 
Cluny  Museum  illustrated  on  page  77  of  Guiffrey 
Seizieme.  Similar  in  treatment  and  style  is  the 
Wood  Cutters  in  the  Musee  des  Arts  Decoratifs. 

But  of  all  hunting  tapestries  none  surpass  in  im- 
portance and  interest  the  set  of  four  dating  from  the 
middle  of  the  XV  century  and  lent  by  the  Duke  of 
Devonshire  to  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum. 
One  of  them  is  illustrated   on    plate  no.  57.     They 


56  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

were  discovered  some  years  ago  in  fragments  in 
Hardwicke  Hall,  having  been  cut  up  for  use  as 
draperies.  They  were  in  bad  condition.  They  were 
restored  at  South  Kensington  under  the  direction  of 
Sir  C.  Purdon  Clarke,  then  director  of  the  Victoria 
and  Albert  Museum,  and  afterwards  director  of  the 
Metropolitan  Museum  in  New  York.  One  of  the 
four  pieces  is  14  feet  by  37.  The  others  are  slightly 
smaller.  The  material  is  wool  only,  and  the  weave 
is  about  15  ribs  to  the  inch.  In  making  the  restora- 
tions the  colours  that  on  the  front  had  faded  were 
copied  from  the  still  vivid  back,  so  that  the  tapestries 
now  display  all  their  ancient  and  original  wealth  of 
hue,  or  most  of  it. 

Significant  towards  the  attribution  of  the  tapestries 
are  two  groupings,  one  the  meeting  of  two  lovers  on 
horseback,  the  other  the  same  two  lovers  riding  off 
on  one  horse  after  betrothal  or  marriage.  As  the 
trappings  of  the  lady's  horse  are  marked  with  the 
letter  M,  and  as  her  gown  is  figured  with  marguerites, 
Thomson  concludes  that  she  is  Margaret  of  Anjou, 
wife  of  Henry  VI  of  England. 

The  description  of  one  of  the  tapestries  I  take 
from  Thomson  who  illustrates  two  of  them  in  colour. 
In  it,  the  horizon  is  very  high,  with  sea  and  ships  in 
the  distance.  One  of  the  ships  has  a  curious  yellow 
flag  bearing  a  red  cross.  From  the  sea  comes  a  large 
rowboat  up  the  river  in  the  middle  of  the  tapestry. 
Well  up  the  river  is  a  castle  with  two  drawbridges. 
The  castle  has  many  towers  and  is  evidently  of  huge 
size,  but  is  represented  on  such  a  small  scale  as  to 


W  -M 

o    S 

H      & 


58  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

occupy  actually  no  more  space  than  one  of  the  per- 
sonages beside  it.  In  the  foreground  the  river 
branches  to  right  and  left.  On  the  left  a  richly 
attired  gentleman  drives  a  spear  into  an  otter.  Fa- 
cing this  gentleman  another,  who  with  his  trumpet 
sounds  "mort"  for  the  otter  that  hangs  dead  from 
one  of  the  prongs  of  his  spear,  and  at  which  half  a 
dozen  dogs  look  up  longingly.  In  the  middle  fore- 
ground, boys  robbing  a  swan's  nest  of  the  young,  and 
fiercely  attacked  by  the  parent  swans.  On  the  right 
an  exciting  bear  hunt.  The  bear  has  a  man  down, 
whose  cimeter  has  run  him  through  and  whose  red- 
stockinged  legs  encircle  him.  The  bear's  troubles  are 
aggravated  by  a  mounted  Saracen  who  has  already 
pierced  him  with  one  lance.  Near  by,  another 
Saracen  is  pulling  one  of  the  cubs  out  of  a  cave,  while 
on  the  extreme  right  another  cub  that  has  got  away 
looks  back  sorrowfully.  Elsewhere  other  hunters 
in  action,  richly  gowned  ladies  and  gentlemen,  and 
three  other  miniature  castles. 

Another  interesting  type  of  Gothic  tapestry 
pictures  battles  and  historical  events  on  huge  panels 
without  borders.  One  of  these  is  the  capture  of 
Jerusalem  by  Titus  at  the  Metropolitan  Museum 
(See  plates  nos.  410,  41 1).  It  is  13  feet  9  by  28  feet  3. 
Among  those  that  picture  scenes  from  the  Trojan 
War  are  the  Chevalier  Bayard  tapestry  illustrated 
in  colour  in  Jubinal  Tapisseries  (See  plate  no.  181), 
now  in  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum,  and  the 
Aulhac  tapestries  also  illustrated  by  Jubinal  and  now 
in  the  Courthouse  of  Issoire.     In  the  Berne  Histori- 


PLATE  no.  59.  The  Siege  of  Troy,  a  Gothic  tapestry  in  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum.  The  illustra- 
tion shows  one  of  three  fragments  purchased  in  1887  by  the  Museum  for  £1200  from  the  heirs  of  M.  Achille 
Jubenal,  who  received  them  as  a  present  in  1837  from  the  painter  M.  Richard,  who  purchased  them  in 
1807  from  the  owner  of  Chateau  Bayard  (See  chapter  XII).  The  fragments  are  13  feet  high  with  united 
widths  of  21  feet.    The  inscription  on  the  one  illustrated  reads: 

VERGTJNT  TROJAM  CUM  PANTHASILEA.    BELLATRICES  MILLE  FEDERATE. 
UT  HECTOREM  VINDICENT  GALEA.    HUS   PRIAMUS  FAVIT   ORDINATE 

The  central  figure  in  the  scene  is  King  Priam  (roy  Prias)  greeting  Penthesilea  (Panthasilea)  Queen  of 
the  Amazons  who  kneels  before  him.  Behind  Priam  are  jEneas  (eneasj  and  Antenor  (anthenor),  and 
in  the  distance  Troy  (troye). 


60  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

cal  Museum  are  several  tapestries  said  to  be  spoils 
won  by  the  Swiss  victories  over  Charles  the  Bold  at 
Granson  and  Morat  (See  chapter  IV).  Four  of 
them  picture  eight  scenes  with  captions  in  French 
from  the  Story  of  Caesar.  They  are  said  to  have 
belonged  to  Louis  of  Luxembourg  Count  of  Saint 
Pol,  who  was  put  to  death  as  a  traitor  in  Paris  in 
1475.  Louis  XI  and  Charles  the  Bold  divided  his 
property,  the  latter  getting  among  other  things  these 
Caesar  tapestries  and  giving  them  to  Guillaume  de 
la  Beaume  whose  arms  they  still  bear.  Other 
large  tapestries  similar  in  style  are  the  two  Clovis 
tapestries  at  the  Cathedral  of  Reims,  and  the  Roland 
at  Roncevaux  in  the  Brussels  Museum  (See  plate 
no.  61).  The  former  are  part  of  a  set  that  was  used 
to  decorate  one  of  the  halls  on  the  occasion  of  the 
marriage  of  Charles  the  Bold  to  his  third  wife, 
Margaret  of  York  in  1468.  Through  Charles' 
daughter,  Mary  of  Burgundy  (See  chapter  IV),  it 
descended  to  the  Emperor  Charles  V  in  whose 
baggage  it  was  found  after  the  raising  of  the  siege 
of  Metz.  Allotted  as  booty  to  Duke  Frangois  de 
Guise,  it  was  finally  presented  to  the  Cathedral  by 
Charles  de  Guise  Cardinal  of  Lorraine.  Then  there 
were  six  pieces.  By  1840  there  were  only  three. 
Since  1840  one  more  has  disappeared.  The  first  of 
the  two  surviving  pieces  pictures  the  Coronation  of 
Clovis  and  the  Capture  of  Soissons;  the  second  the 
foundation  of  the  churches  Saint  Peter  and  Saint 
Paul,  the  Victory  over  Gondebaut,  and  the  Story  of 
the  Wonderful   Stag.     The   combatants   wear   Bur- 


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62  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

gundian  armour  of  the  middle  of  the  XV  century, 
and  M.  Quicherat  thinks  Clovis  has  the  features  of 
Charles  VII. 

More  than  half  a  century  later  is  the  splendid 
Late  Gothic  set  at  the  Cluny  Museum  which  pictures 
the  Story  of  David  (See  plates  nos.  283,  285). 
Similar  to  it  in  style  are  the  two  David  tapestries 
at  the  Brussels  Museum;  and  the  remarkable  set 
picturing  the  Creation  (See  plate  no.  281),  Christ 
Inspiring  Faith,  New  Testament  Scenes,  Combat 
of  the  Vices  and  the  Virtues,  Triumph  of  Christ,  and 
the  Last  Judgment,  illustrated  in  Alba  Sale  1877. 
The  set  was  acquired  by  Baron  d'Erlanger  and  ex- 
hibited in  Brussels  (See  Belgium  1880).  The  Last 
Judgment  is  now  in  the  Louvre.  All  of  these  have 
the  narrow  verdure  border  characteristic  of  so  many 
Brussels  Gothic  and  Gothic-Renaissance  tapestries 
of  the  first  part  of  the  XVI  century. 

Late  Gothic  and  Early  Renaissance  tapestries  with 
similar  borders,  but  smaller  in  size  and  often  in 
single  pieces  instead  of  in  sets,  are  those  picturing 
scenes  from  the  Life  of  Christ,  like  the  Deposition 
from  the  Cross  3  metres  by  3.28,  attributed  to 
Master  Philip,  in  the  Brussels  Museum;  Jesus 
adored  by  the  Saints,  with  Concert  of  Angels,  in 
the  Brussels  Museum;  Saint  Luke  painting  the 
Virgin  and  Child,  after  Van  Der  Weyden,  in  the 
Louvre,  illustrated  on  plate  no.  257;  the  Infant 
Christ  and  the  Holy  Eucharist,  in  the  Brussels 
Museum;  the  Baptism  of  Christ,  in  the  Brussels 
Museum;    the   Finding  of  the   Cross   by   Emperor 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  63 

Constantino,  3.41  metres  by  2.62,  in  the  Brussels 
Museum;  the  Calvary,  3.50  metres  square  and  illus- 
trated on  plate  no.  339,  that  brought  $66,000  at  the 
Dollfus  Sale;  the  Passion,  2.25  metres  by  2.45, 
illustrated  in  Alba  Sale  1877,  now  in  a  New  York 
private  collection;  many  in  the  Royal  Spanish 
Collection. 

Wonderfully  fascinating  also  are  the  Late  Gothic 
triptych  tapestries,  such  as  the  Mazarin  tapestry, 
described  in  chapter  XVI  and  illustrated  on  plate 
no.  369;  the  Brussels  Museum's  Triumph  of  Christ, 
illustrated  on  plate  no.  370,  and  the  replica  in  the 
Cathedral  of  Saragossa;  Mr.  Blumenthal's  Story  of 
Charlemagne,  illustrated  on  plate  no.  371;  the 
Triumph  of  the  Virgin,  dated  1485,  presented  to  the 
Louvre  by  Baron  Davillier,  illustrated  on  plate  no. 
269;  the  Story  of  the  Virgin,  in  four  pieces,  in  the 
Royal  Spanish  Collection. 

Still  another  type  of  Gothic-Renaissance  Transi- 
tion tapestries  is  that  with  much  Late  Gothic  or 
Early  Renaissance  architecture,  and  with  air  and 
backgrounds  opened  up  by  perspective  and  shadow, 
which  nevertheless  continue  to  keep  the  sky-line 
low  and  crowd  the  surface  with  pattern  and  person- 
ages and  inscriptions.  I  refer  to  sets  like  that  of 
Saint  Remi,  in  the  Church  of  Saint  Remi  at  Reims 
(See  plate  no.  65);  the  Story  of  the  Virgin,  in  the 
Cathedral  of  Reims  (See  plates  nos.  261,  289); 
the  Story  of  Saint  Etienne  (Stephen),  at  the  Cluny 
Museum;  Saint  Quentin,  at  the  Louvre;  the  Life  of 
Christ,  at  La  Chaise-Dieu;    the  Story  of  the  Virgin, 


64  TAPESTRIES— THEIR   ORIGIN 

at  Beaune;  the  fragments  of  the  story  of  the  Euchar- 
ist, in  the  Louvre  and  in  the  Boston  Fine  Arts 
Museum  (See  plate  no.  73) ;  the  Story  of  Saint 
Gervais  and  Saint  Protais,  at  Le  Mans. 

Especially  interesting  and  largest  of  all  the  sets 
mentioned  is  the  Story  of  Saint  Remi,  in  the  Church 
of  Saint  Remi  at  Reims,  of  which  two — when  ex- 
hibited at  the  Paris  Exposition  of  1900,  one  of  them 
wrong  side  out  in  order  to  display  the  richness  and 
solidity  of  the  ancient  unfaded  colours — were  very 
much  admired.  These  tapestries  were  designed  for 
the  nave  of  the  church  and  are  consequently  of  great 
size — 16  feet  high  with  a  combined  width  of  165  feet 
— unlike  narrow  bands  intended  for  use  in  the  choir, 
some  of  which  will  be  described  below.  Each  of  the 
Saint  Remi  tapestries,  except  the  first,  pictures  four 
scenes,  one  in  each  corner  with  a  four-line  caption 
in  French.  The  Story  begins  with  the  conversion 
and  baptism  of  Clovis  by  Saint  Remi,  founder  of 
the  Abbey.  On  the  last  panel  appears  Archbishop 
de  Lenoncourt,  the  donor,  kneeling  before  the  altar 
with  a  French  inscription  below  him  that  reads: 
7/7  the  year  fifteen  hundred  thirty-one 
The  Reverend  Robert  de  Lenoncourt 
To  decorate   the   place  on    all  sides 

Had  me  made 

These  tapestries  have  no  borders,  but  the  edges 
are  marked  with  columns  or  foliage. 

Lenoncourt  was  evidently  a  great  amateur  of 
tapestries,  for  he  also  presented  the  Cathedral  of 
Reims  with  a  set  of  17  picturing  the  Story  of  the 


SAINT    REMI 

PLATE  no.  65.  Tapestry  16  feet  high,  the  first  of  a  set  of  ten  presented  to  the  Church  of  Saint  Re'mi  in  Reims  by 
Archbishop  Robert  de  Lenoncourt,  whose  portrait  kneeling  before  an  altar  appears  on  the  last  of  the  set  with  French 
verses  that  give  the  date  as  1531  (See  chapter  II).  The  Archbishop's  coat  of  arms  appears  twice  on  the  tapestry 
illustrated,  of  which  the  subject  is  the  Conversion  of  Clovis  by  Saint  Remi,  as  explained  by  the  French  verses.  In 
the  upper  part  of  the  tapestry  is  pictured  the  Battle  of  Tolbiac,  which  Clovis  wins  by  turning  Christian  and  believing  in 
the  God  of  his  wife  Clothilde.  Below  on  the  left,  Saint  Re'mi  summoned  by  Clothilde  exhorts  King  Clovis,  and  on  the 
right  baptizes  him.    In  this  set  of  tapestries  Gothic  and  Renaissance  are  delightfully  intermingled. 


66  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Virgin,  all  of  which  survive,  but  three  are  in  such 
bad  condition  as  to  be  no  longer  shown.  No.  16  of 
the  set  bears  the  Archbishop's  name  as  donor  and 
1530  the  date  of  completion.  All  the  pieces  of  both 
sets  bear  the  Archbishop's  coat  of  arms.  The 
composition  of  these  Virgin  tapestries  is  particularly 
interesting.  In  the  middle,  occupying  the  larger 
part  of  the  panel,  an  event  in  the  Virgin's  life,  framed 
in  a  Renaissance  portico.  On  each  side,  above,  an 
appropriate  scene  from  the  Old  Testament.  On 
one  side,  below,  a  prophet  announcing  the  event,  on 
the  other  witnessing  it.  For  the  subordinate  scenes 
there  are  captions  in  Latin.  The  main  event  is 
described  by  two  French  quatrains  below.  Along 
the  top  of  the  tapestries  that  are  17 }4  feet  high  runs 
a  Renaissance  border  of  rinceaux  shaded  in  relief, 
with  winged  heads  and  fleurs-de-lis  at  intervals. 

The  Story  of  Saint  Etienne  in  9  pieces  at  the  Cluny 
Museum  pictures  the  life  of  the  first  Christian  martyr 
and  the  discovery  of  his  body  476  years  after  his 
death,  following  the  Legenda  Aurea  (Golden  Legend 
or  Lives  of  the  Saints),  written  by  Jacques  de 
Voragine,  Bishop  of  Bologna  and  Archbishop  of 
Genoa,  in  the  XIII  century.  These  tapestries  are 
long  and  narrow  and  evidently  intended  for  choir 
hangings.  Each  pictures  two  scenes.  The  set  was 
presented  to  the  Cathedral  of  Auxerre,  in  1502,  by 
Bishop  Jehan  Baillet. 

Saint  Quentin,  at  the  Louvre,  is  a  tapestry  about 
11  feet  high  by  26  long,  picturing  the  Story  of  a 
robber  condemned  to  death  for  horse-stealing,  but 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  67 

saved  by  the  intercession  of  Saint  Quentin.     Eight 
quatrains  in  French  explain  the  different  scenes. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  sets  ever  woven  is 
the  Life  of  Christ  at  La  Chaise-Dieu.  There  are 
fourteen  pieces  designed  to  decorate  the  stalls  and 
doors  of  the  abbey  choir,  three  large  and  almost 
square  for  the  bays,  eleven  narrow  friezes  from  19 
to  26  feet  long,  for  the  other  positions.  The  coat  of 
arms  several  times  repeated  is  that  of  Jacques  de 
Senecterre,  Abbot  of  La  Chaise-Dieu  from  149 1  to 
15 18.  The  tapestries  are  said  to  have  been  hung 
for  the  first  time  on  April  17,  1518.  The  composition 
of  the  pictures  reminds  one  of  that  of  the  Reims 
Story  of  the  Virgin.  Each  scene  from  the  Life  of 
Christ  is  framed  in  Gothic  columns,  between  two 
more  or  less  appropriate  scenes  from  the  Old 
Testament.  According  to  M.  Emile  Male  these 
groupings  were  lifted  bodily  from  the  ancient  Bible 
des  Pauvres,  and  the  Speculum  Humana?  Salvationis, 
thus  saving  the  expense  and  trouble  of  original 
designs.  The  subjects  of  the  first  tapestry  are  the 
Annunciation,  with  Eve  tempted  by  the  Serpent  on 
one  side  and  the  angel  appearing  to  Gideon  clad  as 
a  knight  on  the  other;  the  Nativity,  with  Moses 
before  the  burning  Bush  on  one  side  and  Aaron 
watching  his  staff  put  forth  Blossoms  on  the  other; 
the  Adoration  of  the  Magi,  with  soldiers  bringing 
water  back  to  David  from  the  fountain  of  Bethlehem 
on  one  side,  and  the  Queen  of  Sheba  before  Solomon 
on  the  other.  Nine  scenes  in  one  tapestry,  over  70 
in  the  set,  besides  numerous  prophets  in  the  upper 


68  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

and   lower  borders  between   the   Latin   captions  in 
Gothic  letters. 

Remarkable  for  beauty  of  colouring  and  vivacity 
of  tone  is  the  Story  of  the  Virgin,  in  the  church  of 
Notre  Dame  de  Beaune,  in  five  pieces  and  17  scenes 
of  irregular  sizes  framed  in  Late  Gothic  jewelled 
columns  and  arches,  with  grace  a  dieu  woven  in  above 
the  capitals  of  the  columns,  and  several  Latin  in- 
scriptions irregularly  placed.  These  tapestries  were 
exhibited  at  the  Paris  Expositions  of  1889  and  1900 
where  they  were  much  admired.  There  are  photo- 
graphic illustrations  of  four  of  them  opposite  page  80 
of  Guiffrey  Seizieme,  and  of  one  scene  on  plate  no. 
69.  The  subjects  are  the  Nativity,  and  the  Pres- 
entation at  the  Temple,  of  the  Virgin;  Married, 
Conducted  to  the  House  of  Joseph,  Annunciation; 
Visitation,  Nativity  of  Jesus,  Circumcision  of  Jesus; 
Adoration  of  the  Magi;  Presentation  of  Jesus  at 
the  Temple,  Flight  into  Egypt,  Massacre  of  the 
Innocents;  Angel  ordering  the  Holy  Family  to  return 
from  Egypt,  Death  of  the  Virgin,  Coronation  of  the 
Virgin.  There  are  in  addition  two  scenes,  one  on 
the  second  tapestry  and  one  on  the  fourth,  in  which 
are  pictured  the  two  donors:  Jean  Rolin,  son  of 
Nicolas  Rolin  who  was  Chancellor  of  Philip  the 
Good,  and  Archdeacon  Hugues  Lecoq.  The  former 
is  accompanied  by  his  patron,  Saint  John,  the  latter 
by  his  patron,  Saint  Hugh.  Beneath  each,  a  Latin 
inscription  and  the  same  coat  of  arms.  Beside  the 
donor  in  the  Hugues  Lecoq  scene  is  the  Latin  in- 
scription S.  Jingo  abbas  clunensis  (Saint  Hugh  Abbot 


70  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

of  Cluny).  Above  this  scene  appears  the  French 
inscription  Cest  tapisserie  fut  faicte  Ian  de  grace  mil  Vc 
(This  tapestry  was  made  in  the  year  of  grace,  1500). 
About  the  cartoons  we  have  definite  information. 
They  were  ordered  in  1474  of  Pierre  Spicre,  a  Flemish 
painter  of  Dijon,  by  Chancellor  Rolin,  "to  be  ex- 
ecuted in  distemper  for  the  purpose  of  being  trans- 
lated into  tapestries." 

Very  interesting  to  compare  with  this  set  on 
account  of  the  similarity  of  subject,  style,  shape,  and 
size  are  the  two  Life  of  Christ  fragments  in  the 
Hoentschel  Collection  lent  to  the  Metropolitan 
Museum  by  Mr.  Morgan  and  illustrated  on  plates 
70-74  of  Hoentschel  Collection  1908.  Each  piece 
shows  two  scenes  divided  by  Gothic  columns,  one 
the  Massacre  of  the  Innocents  and  the  Flight  to 
Egypt,  the  other  Jesus  among  the  Doctors  and  the 
Marriage  of  Cana.  The  last  scene  is  illustrated  on 
plate  no.  71  of  this  book.  Although  much  eaten  by 
the  moths,  these  two  fragments  are  still  splendid 
examples  of  the  art  of  tapestry-weaving  at  its  best. 
They  tell  the  story  easily  and  clearly  without  effort, 
and  in  comparatively  coarse  weave  secure  striking 
and  immediate  effects  by  line  contrast.  They  are 
each  5  feet  2  high  by  12  feet  4  long. 

Also  similar  in  style  is  the  Miracles  of  the  Eucharist 
that  was  given  to  Isabelle*  de  la  Jaille,  Abbess  of  the 
Abbey  of  Ronceray  near  Angers  (1505-15 18),  whose 
arms  it  bears  in  several  places,  by  Louise  Leroux. 
The  eighth  scene  has  the  inscription:  Dame  loyse 
lerons  doyenne  et  dame  de  chambre  ceans.     It  adorned 


i>    r^StLjmJt&jU&J^ 


72  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

the  choir  of  the  church  until  the  Revolution.  In 
1888  the  eleven  pieces  in  twenty-one  scenes  that  still 
remained  in  the  Chateau  du  Plessis-Mace  near  the 
Abbey,  were  scattered  at  public  sale,  one  piece  now 
being  in  the  Boston  Fine  Arts  Museum  (See  plate 
no.  73),  two  in  the  Museum  of  the  Gobelins,  one  in 
the  Louvre,  others  in  a  chateau  of  Anjou,  and  one  in 
the  Manor  of  Langeais.  The  subjects  of  all  the 
scenes  are  connected  with  the  Holy  Eucharist  as 
announced  by  the  first  legend: 

Cy  commence  Vystoire  et  la  figure 

De  jhesus  Christ  et  son  sainct  sacrement 

Depuis  abel  et  la  loy  de  nature 

Jusques  a  son  cruel  crucifiement 
In  English: 

Here  begins  the  story  and  the  picture 

Of  Jesus  Christ  and  his  Holy  Sacrament 

From  Abel  and  the  law  of  nature 

Until  His  cruel  Crucifixion. 

The  different  scenes  of  this  set  are  framed  in  square 
Gothic  columns  with  flat  slightly  rounded  arches 
above,  and  a  four-line  French  caption  in  Gothic 
letters  below. 

The  long  frieze,  4  feet  11  by  97  feet  6,  in  the 
Cathedral  of  Le  Mans,  picturing  from  the  Story  of 
Saint  Gervais  and  Saint  Protais  the  same  scenes  as 
the  tapestry  at  the  Cathedral  of  Soissons,  was  woven, 
as  an  inscription  on  the  last  panel  shows,  for  Martin 
Guerande,  a  native  of  Anjou  and  canon  of  Le  Mans, 
and  given  by  him  to  decorate  the  choir  (See  plate 
no.  75). 


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74  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Especially  interesting  to  my  English  readers  is 
the  splendidly  preserved  Life  of  Christ,  in  14  pieces 
and  27  scenes,  at  the  Cathedral  of  Aix-en-Province, 
because  in  it  are  woven  the  coats  of  arms  of  three 
archbishops  of  Canterbury — on  the  piece  containing 
scenes  nos.  23,  24  the  arms  of  Cardinal  Morton, 
who  died  in  1500;  on  1,  2  of  Henri  Dene,  archbishop 
of  Canterbury  from  1500  to  1503;  on  25,  26  of 
William  Wareham  who  succeeded  Dene.  Local 
Aix  tradition  has  it  that  the  tapestries  were  originally 
ordered  for  an  English  church.  The  presence  of 
these  coats  of  arms,  and  also  of  those  of  Henry  VIII 
on  11,  12,  would  seem  to  support  tradition,  and  make 
it  certain  that  the  English  church  in  question  was 
Canterbury  Cathedral.  The  tapestries  are  said  to 
have  remained  in  England  for  a  century  and  a  half, 
until  the  time  of  the  Commonwealth,  when  they 
were  sent  to  Paris  and  offered  for  sale.  There  we 
know  that  on  April  4,  1656,  Canon  de  Mimata  bought 
them  for  1,200  ecus  and  presented  them  to  the 
Cathedral  of  Aix.  When  put  on  sale  after  the 
Revolution,  in  1789,  they  were  purchased  by  Mon- 
seigneur  de  Cice,  Archbishop  of  Aix,  and  restored  to 
the  Cathedral.  The  scenes  are  framed  in  square 
Gothic  columns,  with  verdure  borders  above  and 
below,  Gothic  verdure  in  the  foreground  and  Gothic 
castles  in  the  distance.  Of  the  scenes,  nos.  1,  2, 
3,  4,  5,  24,  25,  26,  27  are  reproduced  in  colour  but 
unsatisfactorily  in  Jubinal  Tapisserics,  and  nos. 
3,  4  photographically  in  brown  opposite  page  116 
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76  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

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CHAPTER   III 

Renaissance  Tapestries 

The  most  famous  tapestries  in  the  world  are  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles  set  at  the  Vatican.  The  most 
famous  tapestry  cartoons  in  the  world  are  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles  set  in  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum 
at  South  Kensington.  How  the  cartoons  came  to  be 
painted  by  Raphael  and  the  Vatican  tapestries  woven 
from  them  will  form  an  important  part  of  this  chapter 
on  Renaissance  Tapestries.  But  just  as  I  devoted 
the  last  part  of  my  Gothic  chapter,  so  I  wish  to 
devote  the  first  part  of  my  Renaissance  chapter  to 
the  Gothic-Renaissance  Transition.  Probably  no 
better  example  can  be  found  than  the  set  telling  the 
Story  of  Notre  Dame  du  Sablon,  first  revealed  to  the 
modern  world  of  tapestry-lovers  by  the  publication 
of  the  catalogue  of  the  Spitzer  Collection  1890.  Of 
this  set  of  four — two  of  which  had  been  subdivided 
into  three  pieces  each — the  most  interesting  is  the 
fourth,  11  feet  8  by  7  feet  10,  now  in  the  Brussels 
Museum,  illustrated  in  colour  in  the  Spitzer  cata- 
logue, and  in  half-tone  on  plate  no.  79.  Each  of 
the  original  tapestries  consisted  of  three  scenes  in 
triptych  arrangement,  the  outer  scenes  each  illustrat- 
ing two  Latin  couplets  (one  above  and  one  below),  the 
middle  scenes  one  Latin  couplet  (below),  in  Gothic 
letters,  of  the  old  poem  that  told  the  story. 


78  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

The  correct  order  of  the  scenes  is  made  certain 
by  the  letters  marking  each  couplet — Q  R  S  T  V. 
The  donor  and  date  of  the  set  are  made  certain  by 
the  inscription  in  the  right-hand  border:  Egregius 
franciscus  de  taxis  pie  me(m)orie  postaruim)  mgr 
(magister)  hoc  fieri  fecit  an{n)o  151 8  (The  worthy 
Francis  de  Taxis  of  pious  memory,  master  of  the 
posts,  had  this  made  in  the  year  1518). 

In  a  large  proportion  of  Gothic- Renaissance 
tapestries,  the  Gothic  influence  predominates  even 
when  the  architecture  is  purely  Renaissance.  In 
the  tapestry  before  us  the  Renaissance  influence 
predominates,  especially  in  the  borders  and  in  the 
columns.  The  panels  are  full  of  Gothic  architecture, 
and  the  robes  and  gowns  are  woven  in  the  good  old 
Gothic  fashion,  but  the  sky-line  has  been  lowered 
to  meet  Renaissance  requirements,  and  the  per- 
spective is  definitely  Renaissance.  The  scrolls,  with 
their  ancient  lettering  and  the  inscription  in  the 
right  border,  are  Gothic,  but  the  mottoes  above  and 
below  the  shields  in  the  side  borders  are  Renaissance. 
The  combination  is  just  what  we  should  expect  from 
an  Early  Renaissance  portrayal  of  a  XIV  century 
story. 

In  1348,  so  the  story  goes,  Beatrix  Stoetkens,  a 
poor  woman  of  Antwerp,  dreamed  that  the  Virgin 
appeared  to  her  and  bade  her  ask  the  wardens  of 
the  church  of  Notre  Dame  for  a  long-neglected  small 
statue  of  the  Madonna.  Beatrix  got  the  statue  and 
took  it  to  a  painter  who  enriched  it  with  gold  and 
precious  colours.     Then   Beatrix  restored  it  to  the 


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80  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

church,  where  the  Virgin  clothed  it  with  such  grace 
that  it  inspired  devotion  in  all  who  beheld  it.  Then 
the  Virgin  appeared  again  to  Beatrix  and  bade  her 
carry  the  statue  to  Brussels.  When  the  warden 
tried  to  prevent  Beatrix  from  taking  it,  he  found 
himself  unable  to  move.  She  went  at  once  to  the 
harbour,  and  with  her  precious  burden  embarked  in 
an  empty  boat.  The  boat  stemmed  the  current  as 
if  guided  by  the  Virgin's  own  hand  and  brought 
Beatrix  to  Brussels.  There  she  was  received  by  all 
the  dignitaries  of  the  city,  and  the  miraculous  image 
carried  in  triumphal  procession  to  the  church  of 
Notre  Dame  du  Sablon. 

In  picturing  this  ancient  story  the  artist  followed 
the  Gothic  fashion  of  modernising  the  costumes  and 
by  way  of  compliment  to  the  ruling  powers  also 
modernised  the  actors  in  the  sacred  drama,  substitut- 
ing the  contemporary  ruler  of  the  Netherlands  (the 
Emperor  Charles  V),  and  his  brother  Ferdinand,  for 
the  XIV  century  Duke  of  Brabant  and  his  son. 

The  personage  that  appears  in  all  of  the  three 
scenes  of  the  tapestry  illustrated,  with  a  staff  and  a 
letter,  is  Francis  de  Taxis  the  donor.  In  the  middle 
of  the  left  border  appears  his  coat  of  arms.  The 
coat  of  arms  in  the  top  border  is  that  of  Margaret 
of  Austria,  Maximilian's  daughter  and  Charles  V's 
guardian.  The  statue  of  the  Madonna  in  the  middle 
panel  of  the  tapestry  is  carried  by  Charles  V(crowned) 
and  his  younger  brother  Ferdinand.  The  kneeling 
personage  in  the  left  panel,  to  whom  Beatrix  offers 
the   image   of   the    Madonna,    is    probably   Charles 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  81 

V's  father  Philip  the  Handsome  who  died  in  1506; 
the  kneeling  personage  in  the  right  panel  is  Margaret 
of  Austria  (See  chapter  IV),  with  Ferdinand  and 
his  sisters  Eleanor,  Elisabeth,  Mary,  and  Catherine, 
behind  her. 

The  Latin  caption  reads: 

Q.  The  boat  enters  the  harbour.  The  people  rush  from 
all  sides  and  the  clergy  come  to  meet  it.  The  duke  and  gobies 
gather  at  the  wharfs.  R.  The  magnanimous  prince,  rendering 
homage  to  the  celestial  presence,  kneels  and  takes  the  holy 
object  in  his  hands.  5.  The  dukes,  father  and  son,  raise  the 
grateful  stretcher,  and  the  radiant  Virgin  is  borne  to  the 
chosen  place.  /.  She  is  placed  in  a  sacred  chapel  as  patron 
for  the  wretched,  and  great  crowds  address  to  her  prayers 
that  are  not  disdained.  V.  Honour  then  this  Mary  with 
worship  devout,  and  she  will  grant  you  the  rewards  that  you 
deserve. 

The  occasion  of  the  weaving  of  this  set  of  tapes- 
tries was  the  founding  of  a  chapel,  in  the  Brussels 
church  Notre  Dame  du  Sablon,  by  Francis  de  Taxis, 
imperial  postmaster-general,  whose  death  in  151 7, 
before  the  completion  of  the  tapestry,  devolved  upon 
his  nephew  and  successor  Jean-Baptiste  de  Taxis  the 
pious  duty  of  executing  his  last  wishes. 

About  Raphael's  designs  for  Pope  Leo  X's  Acts  of 
the  Apostles  tapestries  there  is  nothing  transitional, 
nothing  Flemish,  nothing  Gothic.  Panels  and  bor- 
ders alike  represent  the  full  and  free  expression  of  the 
Italian  Renaissance.  It  is  evident  at  first  glance 
that  the  painter  of  these  cartoons  knew  little 
about  tapestry  texture.  The  problems  set  the 
weaver  were  not  textile  problems  but  paint  problems, 


82  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

as  the  result  proves.  The  Raphael  cartoons  did 
more  harm  to  the  art  of  tapestry-weaving  than  all 
other  influences  combined.  The  greatness  of  the 
artist  and  of  his  achievements  misled  the  world,  and 
caused  critics  to  applaud  in  tapestry  what  should 
never  have  been  put  in  tapestry  at  all.  The  side 
borders  of  the  Vatican  set  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles 
are  decorative  works  of  art  of  the  highest  quality; 
but  the  bottom  borders  that  imitate  bas-relief,  and 
the  panels  that  imitate  painting,  are  valuable  rather 
as  documents  in  the  history  of  art  than  as  master- 
pieces of  tapestry. 

Nevertheless,  by  contemporaries  and  by  posterity 
these  tapestries  were  praised  without  end.  They  were 
admired  by  Francis  I  and  Louis  XIV,  Henry  VIII 
and  Charles  I,  Charles  V  and  Philip  II.  By  engravers, 
by  painters,  and  by  weavers  they  were  copied  over 
and  over  again.  The  woven  copies  are  to-day  among 
the  chief  treasures  of  the  Royal  Spanish  Collection, 
the  Imperial  Austrian  Collection,  the  French  Nation- 
al Collection,  the  Berlin  Museum,  Hampton  Court, 
the  Beauvais  Cathedral,  the  Cathedral  of  Loretto, 
the  Dresden  Museum.  Of  the  cartoons  the  Duke 
d'Aumale  said  that  "they  are,  together  with  the 
Parthenon  marbles,  England's  most  beautiful  art 
possessions,"  and  "as  examples  of  Raphael's  work 
unexcelled  except,  perhaps,  by  the  Chambers  of  the 
Vatican." 

The  tapestries  were  first  shown  on  December  26, 
1 5 19,  in  the  Sistine  Chapel  for  which  they  were 
planned.     The  company  assembled  represented  the 


THE   MIRACULOUS   DRAFT 

LATE  no.  83.  Raphael's  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  The  Miraculous  Draft  of  Fish,  at  the  Vatican.  One  of  the  set  of  ten  woven  by 
er  Van  Aelst  for  Pope  Leo  X.  On  account  of  the  narrowness  of  the  spaces  they  were  to  fill  in  the  Sistine  Chapel,  only  part 
le  set  had  side  borders.  The  bottom  borders  are  woven  imitations  of  bas  relief  picturing  scenes  in  the  life  of  Leo  X  before  he 
ime  Pope,  and  in  the  life  of  Saint  Paul.  The  lower  part  of  the  left  side  border  of  the  tapestry  illustrated  was  cut  off  when 
le  was  sacked  in  1527,  and  was  later  replaced  by  the  coat  of  arms  of  Constable  Montmorency  and  by  two  Latin  inscriptions, 
first  memorializing  the  return  of  part  of  the  set  to  Pope  Julius  III  by  this  Constable  in  1553,  the  second  the  repairing  of  the 
stries  by  Pope.  Pius  VII  in  1814  at  great  expense. 


84  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

learning  and  refinement  of  the  world.  There  were 
red-robed  cardinals  and  velvet-capped  painters, 
gaily  clad  young  noblemen  and  sombre  gowned 
scholars,  and  foreign  ambassadors  in  the  picturesque 
attire  of  their  various  countries.  All  were  enthusias- 
tic. They  were  unable  to  express  the  full  extent  of 
their  admiration.  "  Everyone  present,"  wrote  one 
of  the  guests,  "was  speechless  at  the  sight  of  these 
hangings,  and  it  is  the  unanimous  opinion  that 
nothing  more  beautiful  exists  in  the  universe." 

Another  guest  wrote:  "After  the  Christmas 
celebrations  were  over,  the  Pope  exposed  in  his 
chapel  seven  tapestries  (the  eighth  not  being  finished) 
executed  in  the  West  [in  Flanders].  They  were 
considered  by  everybody  the  most  beautiful  speci- 
mens of  the  weaver's  art  ever  executed.  And  this 
in  spite  of  the  celebrity  already  attained  by  other 
tapestries — those  in  the  antechamber  of  Pope  Julius 
II,  those  made  for  the  Marchese  of  Mantua  after 
the  cartoons  of  Mantegna,  and  those  made  for  the 
King  of  Naples.  They  were  designed  by  Raphael  of 
Urbino,  an  excellent  painter,  who  received  from  the 
Pope  one  hundred  ducats  for  each  cartoon.  They 
contain  much  gold,  silver,  and  silk,  and  the  weaving 
cost  1,500  ducats  apiece — a  total  of  16,000  ducats 
($37,000)  for  the  set — as  the  Pope  himself  says, 
though  rumour  would  put  the  cost  at  20,000  golden 
ducats." 

The  tapestries  were  woven  in  Brussels  under  the 
supervision  of  the  Flemish  painter  Barend  Van  Orley, 
friend  and  pupil  of  Raphael.     Brussels  was  then  the 


86  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

world's  principal  centre  of  tapestry  production, 
Arras,  that  gave  its  name  to  the  English  arras  and 
the  Italian  arazzi,  having  been  captured  and  ruined 
in  1477  by  Louis  XL  The  atelier  selected  was  that 
of  Pieter  Van  Aelst,  tapestry-weaver  to  Philip  the 
Handsome,  and  to  Philip's  son,  the  future  Emperor 
Charles  V. 

Of  Van  Aelst's  success  in  interpreting  the  cartoons 
Vasari  wrote:  "One  is  astonished  at  the  sight  of 
this  series.  The  execution  is  marvellous.  One  can 
hardly  imagine  how  it  was  possible,  with  simple 
threads,  to  produce  such  delicacy  in  the  hair  and 
beards  and  to  express  the  suppleness  of  flesh.  It  is  a 
work  more  Godlike  than  human;  the  waters,  the 
animals,  and  the  habitations  are  so  perfectly  repre- 
sented that  they  appear  painted  with  the  brush,  not 
woven."  An  opinion  that  shows  how  little  Vasari 
knew  about  tapestry,  and  about  what  constitutes 
excellence  in  tapestry  (See  chapter  VIII). 

Orders  for  duplicate  sets  at  once  began  to  pour 
into  Brussels.  For  three  pieces  that  totalled  73 -'s 
aunes  (about  38  square  yards)  Francis  I,  in  1534, 
paid  the  enormous  price  of  50  golden  ecus  per  aune. 
Henry  VIII  acquired  a  set  of  nine  pieces  rich  with 
gold  that,  at  the  time  of  the  Charles  I  sale,  was  pur- 
chased by  the  Spanish  Ambassador  to  England, 
Don  Alonzo  de  Cardenas,  who  sold  it  to  the  Duke 
of  Alba  in  1662.  In  1833,  it  was  bought  by  a  British 
Consul  in  Spain,  who  sold  it  to  a  London  merchant. 
In  1844  it  was  bought  for  the  Berlin  Museum. 

Another  set  once  owned  by  the  Duke  of  Alba  was 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  87 

presented  recently  to  the  British  nation  by  Baron 
d'Erlanger,  and  is  now  on  exhibition  at  Hampton 
Court.  The  nine  pieces  composing  it  were  woven 
in  the  early  seventeenth  century,  in  the  workshop  of 
the  great  Jan  Raes  of  Brussels.  Seven  of  them  hang 
in  the  King's  Gallery,  which  was  built  by  Sir  Christo- 
pher Wren  for  the  display  of  the  cartoons.  The 
remaining  two — the  Stoning  of  Saint  Stephen  and 
the  Conversion  of  Saul — hang  in  the  dining-room. 

One  of  the  sets  of  nine  in  the  Imperial  Austrian 
Collection  has  been  the  subject  of  much  controversy. 
On  October  8,  1539,  according  to  the  anonymous 
author  of  a  pamphlet  published  in  New  York  in 
1901,  entitled  the  Raphael  Cartoons,  Duke  Fred- 
eric Gonzaga  wrote  to  Nicolas  Karcher  as  follows: 

Nicolas  Karcher,  master-weaver  of  Brussels,  must  come  to 
our  estates,  because  we  desire  him  to  weave  tapestries  for  our 
court  from  the  drawings  which  we  will  order  to  be  given  to 
him.  We  desire  that  he  shall  be  provided  with  all  the  con- 
veniences necessary  for  his  labour.  For  all  the  time  that  he 
shall  remain  in  Mantua  he  shall  have  wine  and  all  necessary, 
etc. 

To  which  Karcher  replied: 
Your  Highness: 

Your  generosity  is  known  to  all  the  world.  I  am  at  your 
command,  and  will  do  all  that  is  in  my  power  to  be  useful  to 
you,  and  to  please  you.  I  will  be  much  honoured  to  serve 
you  in  my  art.     I  dare  to  hope  that  you  will  give  me  all  the 

means  necessary  for  my  work 

Your  humble  servitor, 

Nicolas  Karcher, 
Master-weaver  of  Flemish  tapestries. 


88  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Furthermore  we  are  told  that  Duke  Hercules  on 
his  death  in  1563  bequeathed  to  his  nephew,  Duke 
William,  "the  tapestries  called  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  for  the  church  of  Saint  Barbara." 

So  that  there  would  seem  some  reason  for  suppos- 
ing that  Karcher  wove  this  Acts  of  the  Apostles 
set  for  the  Duke,  if  we  did  not  know  that  the  different 
pieces  of  the  set — which  was  removed  from  the 
church  of  Santa  Barbara  to  the  ducal  castle  in 
Mantua  by  the  Empress  Maria  Theresa,  and  from 
there  to  Vienna  in  1866 — bear  the  Brussels  mark 
and  the  monograms  of  Brussels  weavers,  as  well  as 
the  arms  of  Duke  Hercules. 

A  second  set  of  nine  pieces  in  the  Imperial  Austrian 
Collection,  woven  in  Brussels  in  the  XVI  century, 
was  acquired  in  1804  from  the  Ruffo  family  of 
Naples  by  the  Emperor  Francis  I.  Each  piece  bears 
the  Brussels  mark  and  a  monogram. 

Of  the  two  XVI  century  sets  of  nine  in  the  Royal 
Spanish  Collection,  one  has  a  Flemish  border  of 
ribbons  and  flowers.  The  other  has  a  full  set  of 
side  and  bottom  borders  including,  and  in  the  style 
of,  the  side  borders  of  the  Vatican  set  (See  Tapestry 
Borders  in  chapter  X),  and  though  without  the 
Brussels  mark,  signed  with  the  monograms  of  the 
weavers  who  signed  the  Gonzaga  set  in  the  Imperial 
Austrian  Collection.  It  may  be  regarded  as  certain 
that  both  the  Gonzaga  set  and  the  last  Spanish  set 
mentioned  were  woven  not  long  after  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Vatican  set  and  from  the  same  cartoons. 

Three    pieces    belonging    to    the    City   of    Milan, 


90  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

exhibited  at  the  Retrospective  Exposition  there  in 
1874,  and  bearing  the  coat  of  arms  of  Cardinal 
Mazarin,  Muentz  regards  as  identical  with  tapestries 
woven  for  Louis  XIV's  famous  minister  in  Paris  and 
bequeathed  by  him  to  Marquis  Mancini. 

The  set  now  in  the  Cathedral  of  Beauvais  was 
woven  at  the  Beauvais  works  by  Philip  Behagle, 
whose  signature  appears  in  the  selvage.  At  the 
Gobelins  several  sets  have  been  woven,  notably 
one  by  Laurent,  Lefevre,  and  Jans  under  the  direction 
of  Lebrun.  About  sets  woven  at  Mortlake,  see 
chapter  V.  For  illustration  of  Acts  of  the  Apostles 
tapestries,  see  plates  nos.  83,  85,  89,  91,  93. 

The  subjects  of  the  ten  original  tapestries  are: 
(1)  the  Miraculous  Draught  of  Fish,  (2)  the  Charge 
to  Saint  Peter,  (3)  the  Cure  of  the  Paralytic,  (4) 
the  Death  of  Ananias,  (5)  the  Stoning  of  Saint 
Stephen,  (6)  the  Conversion  of  Saint  Paul,  (7) 
Elymas  Struck  Blind,  (8)  the  Sacrifice  at  Lystra, 
(9)  Saint  Paul  in  Prison,  (10)  Saint  Paul  on  the 
Areopagus.  In  reproductions,  Saint  Paul  in  Prison 
was  uniformly  omitted  because  of  its  small  size  and 
lack  of  interest.  From  the  cartoons  bought  for 
Mortlake  and  now  at  South  Kensington,  the  Stoning 
of  Saint  Stephen  and  the  Conversion  of  Saint  Paul 
were  also  missing,  so  that  Mortlake  sets  contain 
seven  tapestries  only. 

The  original  tapestries  woven  for  Leo  X  had  their 
share  of  vicissitude.  The  walls  of  the  Vatican  were 
no  protection.  The  portableness  of  the  tapestries 
made   them   the  easy   prey  of  looters  and   thieves, 


PLATE  no.  91.  Raphael's  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  Above,  the  Miraculous  Draft  of  Fish,  one 
of  a  set  of  eight  in  the  Beauvais  Cathedral,  signed  by  BEHAGLE  proprietor  of  the  Beauvais 
Tapestry  Works  at  the  end  of  the  XVII  century.  Below,  the  Conversion  of  Saul,  one  of  a 
set  of  nine  at  Hampton  Court,  purchased  at  the  Alba  Sale  1877  by  Baron  d'Erlanger  and  by 
him  presented  to  the  British  Nation.    The  tapestries  of  this  set  are  signed  with  the  Brussels 


92  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

while  the  other  decorations  of  the  Sistine — the 
frescoes — stayed  securely  in  place.  Their  first  mis- 
fortune was  to  be  pawned  immediately  after  Leo's 
death  in  1521.  The  great  painter  was  then  dead  a 
year,  so  both  Leo  and  Raphael  were  spared  the 
ignominy  of  seeing  the  tapestries  mortgaged  for  the 
comparatively  small  sum  of  5,000  ducats.  Next 
the  tapestries  were  loot  for  the  hordes  that  sacked 
Rome,  in  1527,  under  the  Constable  Bourbon.  The 
soldiers  sold  them  in  various  parts  of  the  world. 
The  "Conversion  of  Saul"  and  "St.  Paul  at  Athens" 
are  known  to  have  been  in  Venice  the  following 
year.  This  latter  piece  wandered  to  Constantinople 
where  it  and  the  "Draught  of  Fishes"  were  bought 
by  the  Constable  Montmorency  and  returned  to 
Julius  III. 

The  worst  fate  of  all  befell  the  tapestry  of  "  Elymas 
Struck  Blind."  This  the  soldiers  cut  in  pieces  to 
sell  the  more  readily.  A  quarter  of  a  century  later 
the  Vatican  regained  possession  of  enough  fragments 
to  piece  together  half  of  it.  It  is  missing  from  the 
Morgan  photographs  mentioned  below. 

After  the  tapestries  were  reassembled  in  Rome 
they  left  their  places  only  to  be  shown  to  the  populace 
every  Corpus  Christi.  This  custom  lasted  until 
1798.  In  that  year  the  French  arm)'  under  Berthier 
entered  the  Holy  City.  Barely  two  weeks  later  the 
French  carried  Pius  VII  off  to  die  in  France,  after 
long  captivity,  and  ordered  an  auction  sale  of  the 
Vatican  furnishings.  French  second-hand  dealers 
were  there  in  numbers,  and  among  the  bargains  they 


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94  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

picked    up   were    the    Raphael    tapestries   at    1,250 
piastres  each. 

The  dealers  took  them  to  Paris  and  offered  them 
to  the  French  Government.  Pending  the  decision 
the  tapestries  enriched  the  walls  of  the  Louvre.  The 
new  republic  apparently  had  more  important  uses 
for  its  money  and  let  the  opportunity  pass.  The 
tapestries  were  returned  to  Marseilles  and  finally 
made  their  way  back  to  the  Vatican  in  1808.  How 
they  got  there  no  one  can  explain.  This  journey 
terminated  their  wanderings. 

In  the  photograph  room  of  the  Library  of  the 
Metropolitan  Museum  are  large  photographs,  pictur- 
ing the  Vatican  set  as  it  is  now,  especially  made  for 
Mr.  Morgan  and  by  him  presented  to  the  Museum. 

One  of  the  most  prolific  designers  of  cartoons  for 
tapestries  in  the  style  of  the  Italian  Renaissance  was 
Raphael's  pupil  Giulio  Romano.  His  most  famous 
sets  were  the  Story  of  Scipio,  in  22  pieces,  and  the 
Fruits  of  War,  in  8  pieces.  For  a  set  of  the  former 
Francois  I  paid  23,000  ecus,  and  of  the  original 
colour  sketches  15  have  been  discovered  by  Colonel 
d'Astier  and  M.  Jean  Guiffrey  in  the  Cabinet  of 
Designs  at  the  Louvre.  Other  sets  attributed  to 
Giulio  Romano  are  the  Story  of  Romulus  and  Remus 
in  the  Brussels  Museum,  woven  about  1540  for 
Cardinal  d'Este;  and  the  Grotesque  Months  (Ara- 
besque), in  the  French  National  Collection. 

Other  sets  designed  by  Italian  painters  are  the 
ten  pieces  of  Vertumnus  and  Pomona,  acquired  by 
Charles  V  at  Amiens  in    1546,   now   in   the   Royal 


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96  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Spanish  Collection;  the  Story  of  Psyche,  in  26  pieces, 
after  sketches  by  Raphael,  some  of  which  are  pre- 
served at  Fontainebleau  and  at  Pau;  the  Story  of 
Moses  at  the  Chartres  Museum,  perhaps  modelled 
on  the  designs  Raphael  made  for  the  Loggie;  the 
Story  of  Vulcan  and  Venus  (See  chapter  V  under 
Mortlake). 

However,  in  the  midst  of  all  these  Italian  Renais- 
sance pictures,  there  were  two  Flemish  painters  who 
held  their  own — Barend  Van  Orley  and  Lucas  Van 
Leyden.  To  the  latter  are  attributed  the  Months  of 
Lucas  in  12  pieces;  to  the  latter  the  Hunts  of 
Maximilian,  in  12  pieces,  otherwise  known  as  the 
Belles  Chasses  de  Guise  because  of  the  famous  set 
owned  by  the  Duke  of  Guise,  woven  by  Francois 
Geubels  of  Brussels,  and  now  in  the  Louvre.  Both 
sets  were  immensely  popular  in  the  XVII  and  XVIII 
centuries  as  well  as  in  the  XVI  century,  and  both 
were  reproduced  at  the  Gobelins  (See  chapter  VI) 
over  and  over  again. 

Another  important  set  in  seven  pieces,  designed 
by  Van  Orley,  of  which  the  Louvre  has  the  original 
sketches,  was  the  Battle  of  Pavia  presented  by  the 
Netherlands  to  Charles  V  in  1531  (See  plate  no.  309). 
It  illustrates  the  Capture  of  Francis  I,  his  Departure 
for  Spain,  and  his  Captivity  at  Madrid. 

By  a  curious  lack  of  tact  it  hung  in  the  very  hall 
of  the  Palace  of  Brussels  where  Admiral  Coligny  was 
received  in  1556,  when  he  went  to  ratify  the  Peace 
of  Vauxcelles  in  the  name  of  Henri  II.  By  the 
Infante  Don  Carlos,  eldest  son  of  Philip  II,  it  was 


M-9 

5  J 

J3 


98  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

bequeathed  in  his  will  dated  May  19,  1564,  to  his 
preceptor  Don  Honorato  Juan.  By  Don  Alfonso 
de  Pescara,  last  representative  of  the  Avalos  family 
of  Naples,  it  was  bequeathed  to  the  Museum  of 
Naples  in  his  will  of  August  18,  1862.  For  many 
years  the  tapestries  were  kept  in  the  Museum  store- 
room, and  only  recently  put  on  exhibition. 

Another  important  set  dealing  with  contemporary 
history  was  the  Conquest  of  Tunis,  woven  by  Wil- 
lem  Van  Pannemaker,  of  Brussels,  for  the  Emperor 
Charles  V.  The  designs  were  by  Charles  V's  painter 
Vermeyen,  who  accompanied  him  on  the  campaign. 


CHAPTER  IV 

Flemish  and  Burgundian  Looms 

The  principal  Flemish  cities  famous  for  tapestry 
weaving  were  Arras,  Brussels,  Tournai,  Bruges, 
Enghien,  Oudenarde,  Middlebourg,  Lille,  Antwerp, 
Delft.  Of  these  Arras  and  Lille  are  now  in  France, 
Delft  in  Holland,  the  others  in  Belgium.  Romantic 
as  is  the  history  of  these  Flemish  cities,  and  necessary 
as  a  knowledge  of  it  is  to  those  who  would  know 
Flemish  tapestries,  the  changes  in  sovereignty  were 
so  frequent  as  to  be  very  confusing,  and  rather  hard 
reading.  Consequently  I  have  introduced,  in  small 
type,  a  brief  resume  with  dates  that  will  be  found 
invaluable  for  reference  by  those  who  at  any  time 
want  questions  answered  about  Flemish,  Burgun- 
dian, Philip  the  Good,  Charles  the  Bold,  Mary  of 
Burgundy,  the  Emperor  Maximilian,  Philip  the 
Handsome,  the  Emperor  Charles  Y,  the  Emperor 
Ferdinand  I,  Margaret  of  Austria,  Mary  of  Hun- 
gary, the  Spanish  King  Philip  II,  Margaret  of 
Parma,  the  Archdukes  of  the  Netherlands  Isabel 
and  Albert,  the  Spanish  Netherlands,  the  Austrian 
Netherlands. 

During  the  first  three-quarters  of  the  Gothic  XV  century, 
the  terms  Flemish  and  Burgundian  are  synonymous  as  far  as 
tapestry  is  concerned.     For  the  Duke  of  Burgundy  acquired, 

99 


100  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

in  addition  to  the  French  Duchy  of  Burgundy,  the  provinces 
of  Flanders  and  Artois  through  his  wife  in  1384,  while  his 
grandson  Philip  the  Good,  Duke  of  Burgundy  from  1419  to 
1467,  added  province  after  province  of  the  Netherlands — 
Namur  in  1427,  Holland,  Zeeland,  Hainault,  Friesland  in 
1428;  Brabant  and  Limburg  in  1430.  He  also  acquired  the 
duchy  of  Luxemburg  by  purchase  in  1443.  In  power  he  was 
superior  to  the  King  of  France,  and  met  on  equal  terms  with 
the  Emperor  and  the  King  of  England.  His  court  was  the 
most  brilliant  and  polite  in  Europe.  For  him  were  painted 
the  finest  paintings,  illuminated  the  most  beautiful  manu- 
scripts, and  woven  the  richest  tapestries.  France  lay  pros- 
trate under  English  control  after  the  battle  of  Agincourt,  in 
1415,  and  the  Treaty  of  Troyes  and  the  marriage  of  the 
English  King  Henry  V  to  Catherine,  daughter  of  the  French 
King  Charles  VI,  in  1420,  until  Joan  of  Arc  raised  the  siege  of 
Orleans  in  1429  and  started  Charles  VII  of  France  on  the 
road  back  to  power.  In  the  XIV  century,  Paris  had  been  an 
important  centre  of  tapestry-weaving.  In  the  XV  century 
the  industry  appears  to  have  been  confined  principally  to 
the  Flemish  cities  and  to  the  cities  in  Italy  and  elsewhere  that 
imported  Flemish  weavers.  (See  Italian  Looms  in  chapter 
VII.)  The  power  of  Philip  the  Good  was  inherited  by  his 
son  Charles  the  Bold  (1467-1477),  who  added  Liege  and 
Gelderland  to  the  Burgundian  dominions,  but  was  interrupted 
in  his  triumphal  course  by  successive  defeats  at  the  hands  of 
the  Swiss  in  the  battles  of  Granson,  March  2,  1476;  Morat, 
June  22,  1476;  Nancy,  January  5,  1477.  At  Nancy,  Charles 
himself  was  among  the  slain,  leaving  his  only  daughter  Mary 
of  Burgundy  sole  heiress  to  all  his  possessions.  Louis  XI  of 
France  claimed  the  reversion  of  the  French  fiefs  and  seized 
Burgundy,  Franche  Comte,  and  Artois.  But  the  Nether- 
lands would  have  none  of  him,  and  supported  Mary,  whose 
marriage  to  Archduke  Maximilian  of  Austria  introduced  the 
long  period  of  Hapsburg  rule.  When  Maximilian  was  elected 
Emperor,  in  1494,  he  handed  over  the  Netherlands  to  his  son 


102  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Philip  the  Handsome,  whose  marriage  to  Joanna  (Jeanne) 
of  Aragon  ultimately  brought  Aragon  and  Castile  under  the 
sovereignty  of  his  son  Charles,  whose  election  as  Emperor 
Charles  V,  in  1519,  on  the  death  of  his  grandfather  Maximil- 
ian, concentrated  in  his  hands  more  authority  than  had  been 
possessed  by  any  ruler  since  Charlemagne. 

When  Charles's  father  died  in  1506,  his  widowed  aunt, 
Margaret  of  Austria,  was  appointed  by  Maximilian  to  act  as 
governor-general  of  the  Netherlands.  After  Charles  assumed 
the  government,  at  the  age  of  15  (in  1515),  she  continued  to 
act  for  him,  and  was  successful  in  securing  and  retaining 
the  loyalty  of  all  Netherlanders.  After  the  death  of 
Margaret,  in  1530,  Charles  appointed  his  widowed  sister, 
Mary  of  Hungary,  to  the  regency.  So  much  of  the 
history  of  the  Netherlands  is  it  necessary  to  know  in 
order  to  understand  the  term  Burgundian,  as  applied  to 
XV  century  tapestries,  and  also  to  understand  how  the 
richest  collection  of  Renaissance  tapestries  in  the  world  came 
to  be  in  Spain. 

When  Charles  abdicated,  in  1555,  he  was  succeeded  in  Spain 
and  the  Netherlands  by  his  son  Philip  II,  but  the  imperial 
power  went  to  Charles's  brother  Ferdinand  I,  who  was  already 
Archduke  of  Austria  and  King  of  Hungary.  Philip  was  a 
thorough  Spaniard  who  did  not  like  the  Netherlands,  and  in 
1559  sailed  for  Spain,  leaving  as  regent  Margaret  of  Parma,  a 
natural  daughter  of  Charles  V.  During  the  religious  and 
anti-Spanish  wars  that  ensued,  the  French  Catholic  South 
became  alienated  from  the  Dutch  Protestant  North.  The 
latter  is  now  the  Kingdom  of  Holland,  the  former  the  Kingdom 
of  Belgium  (since  1830). 

In  1598  Philip  appointed  his  eldest  daughter  Isabel  and  her 
husband  Albert  "the  archdukes"  of  the  Netherlands,  but  over 
the  northern  or  Dutch  Netherlands  (the  United  Provinces) 
they  were  never  able  to  exercise  authority.  Under  their 
rule,  tapestry  weaving — among  other  industries  of  the  Southern 
Netherlands  that  had  been  interrupted  by  the  long  struggle 


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104  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

against  Spain — began  to  revive  but  never  regained  its  ancient 
importance.  On  the  death  of  Isabel,  in  1633,  the  Southern 
Netherlands  reverted  to  Spain  and  were  known  as  the  Spanish 
Netherlands  until  1713,  when  they  passed  under  the  control 
of  the  Emperor  Charles  VI  and  until  the  French  Revolution 
were  known  as  the  Austrian  Netherlands. 


CHAPTER   V 

MORTLAKE,    MERTON,    AND   OTHER    ENGLISH    LOOMS 

The  success  of  Henri  IV  of  France  in  importing 
low-warp  weavers  from  Flanders,  and  establishing 
the  industry  at  Paris  in  1607,  stirred  England  to 
imitation.  A  copy  of  the  agreement  made  by 
Henri  IV  with  Marc  de  Comans  and  Francois  de 
la  Planche,  was  secured  and  a  royal  commission 
was  appointed  to  consider  the  proposals  of  Sir 
Francis  Crane,  last  lay  chancellor  of  the  Order  of 
the  Garter,  and  a  prominent  figure  at  the  Courts  of 
both  James  I  and  Charles  I.  In  August,  1619, 
Sir  Francis  was  granted  the  fees  for  the  making  of 
three  baronets. 

At  this  point  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  the 
baronetcy  is  a  title  created  in  161 1  by  James  I, 
"a  new  Dignitie  between  Barons  and  Knights," 
for  the  purpose  of  raising  money.  The  fees  that 
each  new  baronet  must  pay,  at  first  amounted  to 
£1,095,  but  were  probably  less  by  1619. 

In  return  for  this  grant  of  money  in  the  form  of 
fees,  and  for  the  exclusive  privilege  for  twenty-one 
years  of  making  tapestries  (tapissiers  already  estab- 
lished being  excepted  on  presenting  proper  evidence 
to  the  commissioners),  and  for  freedom  from  taxation, 
Sir  Francis  was  to  equip  the  plant  and  accept  a 

105 


106  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

certain  number  of  seven-year  apprentices  from  the 
Hospitals  of  the  City  of  London. 

The  King's  agents  abroad  at  once  began  to  arrange 
secretly  for  the  importation  of  Flemish  weavers. 
In  1620  the  secretary  of  the  Flemish  embassy  at 
London  reported  to  his  sovereigns,  Albert  and  Isabel 
the  Archdukes  of  the  Netherlands,  that  fifty  had 
already  arrived.  Among  them  were  Josse  Inghele, 
Jacques  Hendrix,  Pierre  Foquentin,  Simon  Heyns, 
of  Oudenarde;  and  Josse  Ampe  of  Bruges.  Among 
those  who  came  soon  after,  were  Peter  de  Craight, 
Louis  Vermoulen,  and  Philip  de  Maecht  who  became 
manager  of  the  works  at  Mortlake,  and  who  had 
previously  been  manager  of  an  atelier  for  Comans  and 
Planche  in  Paris.  His  monogram  appears  in  the 
selvage  of  Paris  as  well  as  of  Mortlake  tapestries. 

The  Prince  of  Wales  who  became  King  on  March 
27,  1623,  as  Charles  I,  and  his  bosom  friend  and 
mentor  "Steenie,"  Marquis  of  Buckingham  (Duke 
of  Buckingham  after  May  18,  1623),  were  enthusias- 
tic patrons  of  Sir  Francis.  The  first  important  set 
woven  at  Mortlake  a  suburb  of  London,  was  Vulcan 
and  Venus,  in  nine  pieces  bearing  the  monogram  of 
Charles  in  cartouches  in  the  side  borders,  the  three 
feathers  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  in  the  cartouche  in 
the  top  border,  and  in  the  bottom  border  four 
sceptres  crossed  with  a  ribbon  bearing  the  Latin 
inscription  Sceptra  fovent  artes,  which  in  the  one  of 
this  set  owned  by  Mrs.  Von  Zedlitz  and  exhibited 
on  loan  at  the  Metropolitan  Museum  (See  plate  no. 
107),  reads  favcnt  by  error  for  fovent.     The   phrase 


J= 

o 

< 

tf 

c 

li 

W 

V 

H 

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0) 

H-l 

U< 

o 

s 

^ 

108  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

means  Sceptres  (that  is  to  say,  Kings)  foster  the 
arts.  The  one  of  this  set  in  the  Victoria  and  Albert 
Museum,  illustrated  by  Thomson  opposite  page 
304,  also  has  favent.  Both  of  these  tapestries  are 
signed  with  the  Mortlake  shield  and  the  monogram 
of  Philip  de  Maecht  in  the  bottom  selvage,  but  the 
bottom  selvage  of  Mrs.  Von  Zedlitz's  tapestry  is 
now  attached  vertically  on  the  right,  the  original 
selvage  there  evidently  having  worn  away. 

Charles  and  Buckingham  were  not  as  prompt 
with  payments  as  with  orders.  During  their  absence 
in  Spain  in  1623,  Sir  Francis  wrote  to  King  James  a 
letter  that  is  reprinted  by  Thomson  from  page  285 
of  the  European  Magazine  for  October,  1786.  He 
beseeches  the  King  to  excuse  his  boldness  in  thus 
addressing  him,  and  explains  that  he  is  "already 
above  £16,000  in  the  busynes  and  never  made 
returns  of  more  than  £2,500,  so  that  my  estate  is 
wholly  exhausted  and  my  credit  is  spent." 
"and  I  know  not  how  to  give  continuance  to  the 
busyness  one  month  longer."     He  also  says: 

"The  Prince  and  My  Lord  Marquis  both  (to  whom 
a  little  before  their  journey  I  presented  my  necessities 

.  .  )  gave  me  commandment  to  keep  the  busy- 
ness afoote,  and  promised  me  for  the  present  to  keep 
the  fire  goinge  (which  was  the  Prince's  own  phrase), 
that  I  should  instantly  receive  the  money  layed  out 
for  my  Lord  Marquis,  which  was  £3,200,  and  that  I 
should  have  besides  the  benefit  of  two  Serjeants 
[meaning  the  fees  paid  by  them  on  assuming  office]. 

"The    Prince   gave   me   order   to   go   into   hande 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  109 

with  a  rich  suite  of  the  Months  and  to  send  to  Genna 
[Genoa]  for  certayne  drawings  of  Raphaell  of  that 
Urbin,  which  were  desseignes  for  tapestries  made 
for  Pope  Leo  the  X,  and  for  which  there  is  £300  to 
be  payed,  besides  their  charge  of  bringing  home." 

The  Prince  wrote  from  Madrid,  directing  his 
council  to  pay  £700  for  the  tapestry  drawings 
ordered  from  Italy,  and  £500  on  the  set  of  the 
Twelve  Months  being  woven  for  him  at  Mortlake. 
He  was  anxious  to  have  the  set  finished  before  his 
return  to  England. 

Early  in  the  history  of  the  Mortlake  industry, 
Francis  Cleyn,  a  student  in  Italy,  in  the  service  of 
Charles'  uncle,  Christian  IV  of  Denmark,  was 
brought  to  the  notice  of  Prince  Charles,  and  per- 
mission was  secured  for  him  to  enter  the  English 
service.  His  work  was  so  much  liked  that  on  June 
4,  1625,  Charles,  shortly  after  his  accession  to  the 
throne,  granted  him  a  life  salary  of  £100  a  year. 
As  shown  on  page  112  of  volume  XVIII  of  Rymer's 
Foedera: 

"Know  ye  that  we  do  give  and  graunt  unto 
Francis  Cleyn  a  certain  annuitie  of  one  hundred 
pounds  a  year  during  his  natural  life." 

Francis  Cleyn  acted  as  art  director  of  the  Mortlake 
Tapestry  Works  until  his  death  in  1658.  Cleyn's 
prosperity,  however,  was  merely  an  overflow  from 
that  of  Sir  Francis.  Nearly  a  month  earlier — on 
May  10,  1625,  to  be  exact — by  a  document  printed 
on  page  60  of  volume  XVIII  of  Rymer's  Fcedera 
under  the  heading  De  Concessione  Speciali  Francesco 


110  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Crane  Militi,  King  Charles  acknowledges  an  in- 
debtedness of  £6,000  to  Sir  Francis,  balance  due  on 
three  suits  of  gold  tapestry,  and  granted  him  a 
pension  of  £1,000  a  year  for  ten  years  "for  the  better 
Maintenance  of  the  said  Workes  of  Tapestries," 
and  of  a  second  £1,000  a  year  for  the  same  period  to 
settle  the  debt,  but  with  the  proviso  that  if  at  any- 
time Charles  paid  the  debt  in  full  with  interest  at 
8  per  cent.,  the  payment  of  the  second  £1,000  a  year 
should  cease.  The  document  also  provides  that  the 
£2,000  a  year  shall  be  paid  out  of  the  revenues  accru- 
ing "  in  respect  of  the  Pre-emption  of  Tynne  within 
the  counties  of  Cornwall  and  Devon." 

The  first  set  of  Vulcan  and  Venus,  in  nine  pieces, 
woven  plain  without  gold,  except  "in  the  piece  of 
Apollo  and  for  the  letters,  16  oz.  at  6s.  the  ounce," 
amounting  to  a  total  of  £4  16s.,  had  cost  Charles 
£2,000,  paid  in  three  instalments:  £500  on  January 
15,  1620;  £500  on  May  17,  1621;  £1,000  on  March 
17,  1621.  It  was  begun  on  September  16,  1620,  and 
finished  on  June  5,  1622. 

The  three  "suits  of  gold  tapestry,"  mentioned 
above — also  picturing  Vulcan  and  Venus  according 
to  Dru  Burton  the  Auditor-General — who  about 
1630  lost  his  position  for  protesting  against  what  he 
regarded  as  the  exorbitant  charges  of  Sir  Francis — 
cost  Charles,  according  to  Burton,  £3,000  apiece. 

The  details  that  Burton  supplies  (in  the  State 
papers  of  Charles  I)  are  exceedingly  interesting. 
Vulcan  and  Venus,  he  says,  "is  the  foundation  of 
all  good  Tapestries  made  in  England."     The  whole 


HHHHMM 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  111 

set  contained  479  ells  I  stick  H  Flemish.  "It  cost 
the  undertaker  materials,  workmanship  and  all  other 
charges  being  included,  by  just  account,  £905  8s. 
I9d.,  which  comes  to  37s.  iod.,  the  Flemish  ell  or 
thereabouts.  ...  It  was  sold  to  yr  Ma  beeing 
Prince  for  £2,000  as  containing  500  ells  fl.  at  £4,  the 
elle,  the  most  part  of  the  monie  being  imprested 
before  the  work  was  finished,  whereby  was  clearly 
gained  to  the  undertaker  of  that  manufacture 
£1,094  IIS-  io^d."  A  marginal  note  states  that 
Burton  made  this  account  "according  to  Philip  de 
Maecht's  books  and  instructions  [he]  being  Mr.  and 
Director  of  the  Tapistrs." 

The  items  of  cost  of  the  first  set,  reprinted  in  full 
by  Thomson  on  page  307,  show  that  Peter  de  Craight 
received  £23  13s.  for  weaving  the  Nakeds,  Louis 
Vermoulen  £24  3s.  for  the  Faceworke,  Philip  de 
Maecht  the  overseer  Director  Tapissiers  4s.  out  of 
every  ell  for  the  common  worke  and  4s.  the  elle  for 
the  faceworke,  being  together  486  ells  10  stocks  ^4, 
amounting  to  £97  6s.  6d.  The  cost  of  "silke, 
yarne,  warpe,"  and  gold  is  also  given  in  itemized 
form. 

Burton's  attack  did  Sir  Francis  no  harm,  and  the 
impression  one  gets  from  going  through  the  accounts 
is  that  Charles  I  was  anxious  to  be  munificent  in 
helping  build  up  the  industry.  He  visited  the 
Mortlake  factory  in  person  on  March  28,  1629,  and 
even  considered  with  Sir  Francis  the  establishment 
of  another  tapestry  works  in  the  manorhouse  of 
Grafton. 


112  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

The  death,  in  June,  1636,  of  Sir  Francis,  who  had 
gone  to  Paris  in  March  to  undergo  a  surgical  opera- 
tion, ended  the  prosperity  of  Mortlake.  His  brother, 
Captain  Richard  Crane,  soon  got  into  financial 
difficulties.  The  140  persons  connected  with  the 
works  petitioned  the  King,  claiming  that  he  owed 
them  £545  3s.  8d.,  and  had  paid  them  nothing  for 
nine  months.  Their  petition  is  described  in  the 
State  papers  as  that  of  "the  poor  men  of  Mortlake." 
One  year  after  the  death  of  Sir  Francis,  Richard 
Crane  sold  out  his  interest  to  the  King  for  £5,811 
1  os.  6d.,  and  Mortlake  became  a  royal  factory  known 
as  "the  King's  Works."  The  five  principal  weavers 
agreed  to  make  600  ells  of  tapestry  yearly  for  a  fixed 
price,  and  to  train  apprentices.  The  King,  on  his 
part,  agreed  to  give  an  annual  subsidy  of  £2,000,  and 
to  increase  the  allowance  of  the  art  director,  Francis 
Cleyn,  to  £250  a  year,  with  the  understanding  that 
out  of  that  sum  he  was  to  pay  an  assistant. 

Some  of  the  prices  paid  to  Richard  Crane  for 
tapestries  woven  under  his  regime  and  before  are 
interesting.  For  a  set  of  Hero  and  Leander,  contain- 
ing 284  Flemish  ells  at  £6  an  ell,  £1,704.  For  a  piece 
of  Saint  Paul  and  Elymas  the  Sorcerer  containing 
83  ells  at  £8  the  ell,  £664.  For  a  piece  of  Diana  and 
Calisto  containing  63  ells  at  £8  the  ell,  £504.  For  a 
set  of  the  Horses,  £1,204.  For  "two  pieces  on  the 
looms  with  a  tawny  border,"  £269  13s.  6d.  For  "  three 
other  pieces  on  the  looms,"  £380  10s.  4d.  For  "two 
pieces  more  of  the  same  set,  which  are  finished," 
£334.      For  "sundry  silks  and  yarns,"  £362  13s.  4d. 


r^ 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  113 

In  January,  1638,  a  set  of  the  Story  of  Saint 
Paul,  containing  3,064  ells  Flemish,  was  sold  to 
the  Lord  Chamberlain  for  £804  us.  3d.  In  De- 
cember, 1639,  five  pieces  of  the  Story  of  the  Apostles 
were  sold  to  the  Earl  Holland  for  £886  17s.  6d. 
In  1 64 1,  one  of  the  workmen  received  £85  with 
which  to  purchase  cartoons  of  the  Story  of  Dido 
and  JEneas,  in  the  Netherlands. 

The  outbreak  of  the  Great  Rebellion  in  1642  made 
it  impossible  for  the  King  to  keep  up  his  payments. 
In  1643  he  owed  the  works  £3,937  and  the  workmen 
petitioned  for  leave  to  export  tapestries  to  the 
Netherlands  free  of  duty,  a  remarkable  instance  of 
wanting  to  "carry  coals  to  Newcastle."  On  January 
30,  1649,  Charles  I  was  put  to  death  at  Whitehall  in 
London. 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  Commonwealth  (1649- 
1660),  was  to  make  a  priced  inventory  of  the  house- 
hold goods  "belonging  to  the  late  King,"  and  have 
them  sold  "by  order  of  the  Council  of  State,  from  ye 
severall  Places  and  Palaces,"  as  Denmark  House, 
Somerset  House,  Oatelands,  Windsor,  Hampton 
Court,  Richmond,  Syon  House,  Whitehall,  Caris- 
brook,  etc.,  etc.  The  inventory  was  among  the 
manuscripts  (Bibl.  Harl.  No.  4898),  collected  by 
Robert  Harley,  Earl  of  Oxford  and  Queen  Anne's 
famous  minister,  and  now  preserved  in  the  British 
Museum.  The  part  of  the  inventory  covering 
tapestries  will  be  found  complete  on  pages  351-395  of 
Thomson. 

Nevertheless,    the    Commonwealth    made    some 


114  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

efforts  to  promote  the  weaving  of  tapestries  at  Mort- 
lake.  The  buildings  were  repaired,  and  Sir  Gilbert 
Pickering  was  put  in  charge,  with  John  Holliburie 
(Hallenbirch),  as  overseer.  In  1653  Mantegna's 
series  of  nine  paintings  picturing  the  Triumph  of 
Caesar,  was  ordered  sent  from  Hampton  Court  in 
order  that  it  might  be  copied  for  use  as  tapestry 
cartoons.  In  1657,  Philip  Hallenbirch  proposed  the 
execution  of  the  Story  of  Abraham,  by  himself.  The 
Council  of  State  finally  referred  the  question  of  new 
designs  to  Francis  Cleyn,  giving  him  the  option  of 
weaving  one  or  both  "if  his  Highness  [Cromwell] 
shall  so  direct."  Cromwell  was  personally  so  fond 
of  tapestry  as  to  hang  his  bedroom  at  Hampton 
Court  with  "five  pieces  of  fine  tapestry  hangings  of 
Vulcan  and  Venus." 

The  Restoration  of  1660  did  not  help  matters 
much  at  Mortlake.  Not  until  1662  were  the  pro- 
posals of  Sir  Sackville  Crow  to  Charles  II  for  the 
revival  of  the  industry  acted  on.  In  that  year  he 
received  a  grant  of  the  government  of  the  tapestry 
works  at  Mortlake  with  £1,000  a  year  toward  the 
upkeep,  and  a  warrant  to  search  out  all  paintings 
and  cartoons  for  tapestry  that  had  belonged  to 
Charles  I.  He  was  to  pay  a  nominal  rent  of  5s.  per 
year,  and  Verrio,  the  court  painter,  was  to  supply 
designs. 

In  1667  Sir  Sackville  sent  in  his  resignation, 
finding — so  he  says  in  a  letter  dated  May,  1670, 
to  the  Countess  of  Rutland,  preserved  in  the  Belvoir 
Manuscripts  and  reprinted  by  the  Historical  Manu- 


HISTORY   AND   RENAISSANCE  115 

scripts  Commission  of  Great  Britain — "that  busines 
without  his  Majestie's  encouragement  rather  a 
burden  than  a  bennifitt  to  mee  to  keepe  itt  upp  to 
that  perfection  I  found  and  made  itt." 

Francus  Poyntz  was  the  next  manager  of  the 
Mortlake  tapestry  works  and  continued  to  hold  the 
position  until  at  least  1678.  In  1668  Charles  II 
paid  him  £495  5s.  for  a  set  of  the  Bacchanals,  and 
£316  6s.  3d.  for  the  Story  of  Polidore.  In  1669 
he  bought  five  Caesar  panels  after  Mantegna's 
designs — 137/4  Flemish  ells  (a  square  Flemish  ell 
is  9/16  of  a  yard),  at  £4  a  yard — for  £550.  Also 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  143^  ells  at  £1  15s.  per 
ell,  for  £251  us.  3d.  In  1673  five  tapestries 
picturing  the  Story  of  the  Boyes  (Giulio  Romano's 
Children  Playing),  containing  86K  ells,  were  acquired 
for  the  King's  Great  Wardrobe,  at  £4  an  ell,  for 
£345  6s.  8d. 

Poyntz's  initials  and  the  date  1672  appear  on  a 
large  tapestry  belonging  to  the  Marquis  of  Chol- 
mondeley  (Houghton  Hall),  illustrated  by  Thomson 
opposite  page  324,  and  picturing  separately  with 
borders  between,  James  I,  and  Anne  of  Denmark 
his  Queen,  Charles  I  and  Henrietta  Maria  his 
Queen,  Christian  IV  of  Denmark  brother  of  Anne. 
The  vertical  borders  also  carry  in  the  middle,  oval 
medallion  portraits  of  the  royal  children.  The  price 
paid  for  this  tapestry  was  £1,416  13s.  nd. 

There  are  also  three  pieces  of  tapestry  signed  by 
Francus  Poyntz  at  Hampton  Court,  in  the  Prince 
of    Wales'    Bedroom.     They    illustrate    the    naval 


116  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

battle  of  Solebay  (Southwold),  fought  on  May  28, 
1672,  between  the  Dutch  under  De  Ruyter  and 
the  combined  English  and  French  fleets  under  the 
Duke  of  York  and  the  Count  d'Estrees.  It  is 
difficult  to  understand  why  the  English  wished  to 
commemorate  the  event  in  tapestry,  for  the  allies 
were  distinctly  worsted,  the  Duke  of  York  losing 
his  flagship,  and  his  second  in  command  the  Earl  of 
Sandwich  losing  not  only  his  ship  but  his  life. 

These  three  pieces  of  tapestry,  probably  only  part 
of  the  original  set,  are  12  feet  high,  and  the  first  two 
are  each  24  feet  long.  The  third  piece  is  folded  in. 
The  panels  show  ships  in  action  and  are  not  par- 
ticularly interesting  in  design  or  weave  or  color. 
Indeed  it  is  to  these  three  tapestries  that  Boettiger 
Swedish,  page  7$  of  volume  II,  attributes  the  fact 
that  "the  products  of  the  Mortlake  factory  do  not 
appear  to  be  well  known  or  much  appreciated  in 
England."  The  first  and  third  pieces  are  signed 
with  the  Mortlake  shield  between  the  initials  F  and 
P.  The  second  piece  substitutes  for  the  initials  the 
full  name  FRANCVS  POYNTZ.  The  Mortlake 
shield — that  is,  the  shield  of  St.  George,  a  red  cross 
on  a  silver  ground — appears  in  its  complete  form, 
not  misshapen  and  with  cross  gone  as  on  many 
Mortlake  tapestries. 

In  1678  Poyntz  petitioned  the  King  on  behalf  of 
the  foreign  Roman  Catholic  weavers,  whom  a  recent 
proclamation  obliged  to  leave  the  country  (page  69 
of  part  2  of  report  XI  of  Britain  Manuscripts). 
He  also  seized  the  opportunity  to  bring  the  whole 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  117 

tapestry  situation  to  the  King's  attention.  He 
argued  that  England  had  the  best  wool  in  the  world 
for  tapestry,  and  that  the  added  imports  of  silk  from 
Turkey  would  increase  the  exports  of  English  wool 
in  exchange.  The  workmen  in  France  and  Flanders 
were  not  thriving  and  could  easily  be  induced  to 
cross  the  Channel.  The  £100,000  paid  every  year 
for  imported  tapestry  would  be  kept  at  home. 

Poyntz's  petition  does  not  appear  to  have  pro- 
duced the  desired  result  and  the  business  continued 
in  the  doldrums.  Finally,  in  1703,  the  property 
was  released  by  Queen  Anne  from  the  restrictions 
imposed  by  Charles  I  that  it  must  be  used  for  the 
manufacture  of  tapestry.  This  was  the  end  of  the 
Mortlake  tapestry  works. 

That  the  Mortlake  Works  were  in  operation  as 
late  as  1688,  when  Ralph  Montague  was  created 
Earl,  is  proved  by  four  square  tapestry  table-covers 
bearing,  in  the  middle  on  a  dark  green  ground,  his 
arms  as  Earl  Montague  of  Houghton,  with  wide  bor- 
der of  foliage  and  eagles  and  arms  in  the  middle  of 
each  side.  Montague  House  and  Houghton  both 
contain  certain  pieces  from  the  Naked  Boys  series 
with  small  borders. 

About  the  merit  of  the  tapestries  woven  at  Mort- 
lake during  the  lifetime  of  Sir  Francis  Crane,  there 
can  be  no  difference  of  opinion.  The  manager, 
Philip  de  Maecht,  was  highly  efficient,  the  artistic 
director,  Francis  Cleyn,  was  equally  skilful  at 
adapting  and  creating,  and  there  was  money  available 
to  buy  supplies  and  pay  the  men. 


118  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Among  the  most  famous  sets  woven  in  the  golden 
period  were  Vulcan  and  Venus,  after  XVI  century 
designs  (by  Rivieres  on  the  authority  of  Sir  Sack- 
ville  Crow  in  a  letter  to  the  Countess  of  Rutland 
dated  May  7,  1670);  the  Naked  Boyes,  after  the 
XVI  century  designs  of  Raphael's  pupil  Giulio 
Romano;  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  after  the  famous 
cartoons  of  Raphael  that  are  still  preserved  in  the 
Victoria  and  Albert  Museum;  Hero  and  Leander, 
and  the  Horses,  by  Francis  Cleyn;  the  Twelve 
Months,  after  XVI  century  designs. 

The  Triumph  of  Julius  Caesar,  by  Mantegna, 
nine  paintings,  nine  feet  square,  still  preserved  at 
Hampton  Court,  appears  to  have  been  first  put  on 
the  looms  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II,  from  cartoons 
ordered  by  Cromwell. 

Probably  the  best  monument  to  the  Mortlake 
tapestry  works  is  the  set  of  Acts  of  the  Apostles, 
after  Raphael  (See  my  chapter  on  Renaissance 
Tapestries),  preserved  in  the  French  National  Col- 
lection. Four  of  them  are  illustrated  in  Guichard 
French.  The  full  set  of  seven  is  described  in  Louis 
XIV  Inventory  no.  34  on  page  300  of  volume  I,  as 
follows: 

"Acts  of  the  Apostles.  A  set  of  low-warp  tapestry 
of  wool  and  silk  enriched  with  gold,  made  in  England, 
design  of  Raphael,  representing  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  in  a  border  with  red  ground  and  with 
cartouches  in  which  there  are  medallions  and  colour 
of  gilded  bronze  where  are  represented  different 
stories  of  the  New  Testament,  accompanied  by  angles 


r  -^mamm^~-^^  ■      i 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  119 

and  by  figures  with  festoons  of  flowers  and  fruit. 
In  the  middle  of  the  top  border  are  the  arms  of 
England  supported  by  a  lion  and  a  unicorn.  Con- 
tains 40  aunes  [French  ell  of  46^  inches]  in  total 
length  by  4.H  aunes  high,  in  seven  pieces."  Louis 
XIV  also  had  two  other  sets  of  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  with  gold  and  attributed  to  England,  no. 
30  in  seven  pieces  yA  aunes  high  and  no.  35  in  four 
pieces  4K  aunes  high.  No.  30  had  a  simpler  border 
than  no.  34,  and  neither  bore  the  royal  arms  of 
England.  According  to  page  26  of  Muentz  Vatican 
there  now  remain  in  the  French  National  Collection 
15  out  of  the  18  pieces  enumerated  above.  Miintz 
was  mistaken  in  saying  that  Louis  XIV  owned  only 
two  sets  of  Mortlake  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  in 
taking  his  transcription  from  the  inventory,  he 
omitted  Mortlake  tapestry  no.  34,  which  is  the  most 
important  set  that  has  survived  (See  plate  no.  93). 

The  identity  of  this  set  of  tapestries  is  made  certain 
not  only  by  the  very  exact  description  of  the  border 
contained  in  the  inventory,  but  also  by  the  Mortlake 
shield,  and  the  monogram  of  Sir  Francis  Crane,  that 
appear  in  the  selvage  of  some  of  the  pieces.  Also,  by 
the  Car.  re.  reg.  Mortl.,  which  unabbreviated  reads 
Carolo  rege  regnante  Mortlake,  and  means  At  Mortlake 
in  the  reign  of  King  Charles. 

Tradition  says  that  Rubens,  having  seen  the 
Raphael  cartoons  in  Brussels,  persuaded  Charles  I 
to  buy  them  about  1630.  I  prefer  to  follow  Sir 
Francis  Crane  who,  in  1623,  in  his  letter  of  remon- 
strance to  King  James  about  money  matters,  quoted 


120  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

earlier  in  this  chapter,  says  definitely  and  specifically 
that  Prince  Charles  had  already  ordered  him  to  send 
to  Genoa  for  these  Raphael  drawings. 

Tradition  also  says  that  Antoine  Van  Dyck,  the 
fashionable  portrait  painter  of  the  Court  of  Charles 
I  designed  the  borders  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles 
sets  woven  at  Mortlake.  I  can  find  no  facts  to 
support  the  tradition  and  am  inclined  to  give  Francis 
Cleyn  credit  for  these  and  other  borders,  including 
those  used  on  the  first  Vulcan  and  Venus  sets,  and  the 
Hero  and  Leander  set  now  in  Sweden. 

There  is  undeniably  a  striking  similarity  of  style 
between  all  of  these  borders,  and  we  know  that  the 
Hero  and  Leander  ones  are  Cleyn's.  Indeed,  one  of 
the  most  attractive  features  of  Mortlake  tapestries 
is  those  distinctive  borders  that  indicate  a  strong  per- 
sonality at  the  art  helm.  If  Cleyn  erred  in  the  direc- 
tion of  too  pronounced  relief  and  shadow  effects, 
he  was  not  the  only  XVII  century  master  to  do  so. 

The  set  of  six  pieces  picturing  the  Story  of  Hero 
and  Leander  is  described  in  the  inventory  of  the 
year  1656,  of  the  tapestries  of  the  Swedish  King 
Charles  Gustave  as  "beautiful  tapestries  of  fine 
quality,  new,  enriched  with  gold  and  silver,  which 
were  given  to  His  Royal  Majesty  (as  a  wedding 
present)  by  Count  Johan  (Axelstierna)."  Five  of 
the  original  set  of  six  pieces  are  still  in  the  possession 
of  the  Swedish  Crown  (See  plate  no.  121). 

To  Americans,  the  Vulcan  and  Venus  sets  woven 
at  Mortlake,  are  of  especial  interest,  because  con- 
crete examples  are  on  exhibition  at  the  Metropolitan 


HERO    AND    LEANDER 

PLATE  no.  121.  Scene  from  the  Story  of  Hero  and  Leander,  a  Mortlake  tapestry  designed  by  Francis  Cleyn, 
in  the  Swedish  Royal  Collection  together  with  four  others  of  the  original  set  of  six.  The  set  was  given  to  the 
Swedish  King,  Charles  Gustave  as  a  wedding  present  by  Count  Johan  Axelstierna  and  is  described  in  the  inventory 
of  the  year  1656  as  "beautiful  tapestries  of  fine  quality,  enriched  with  gold  and  silver."  Next  to  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  set  in  the  French  National  Collection,  this  is  the  most  interesting  Mortlake  set  that  survives.  It  is  a 
pity  that  the  British  National  Collection  is  so  poor  in  Mortlake  tapestries. 


122  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Museum,  one  lent  by  Mrs.  A.  von  Zedlitz,  the  other 
three  by  Mr.  Philip  Hiss.  The  first  (See  plate  no. 
107),  illustrates  the  Complaint  of  Vulcan  to  Jupiter; 
the  last  three,  Venus  and  Cupid,  the  Duenna  Warn- 
ing Vulcan,  Vulcan  entering  with  the  Net  (See  plate 
no.  123).  The  first  is  14  feet  3  inches  high  by  15 
feet  8;  the  others,  13  feet  5  by  8;  13  feet  ^/2  by  8 
feet  2,  13  feet  9  by  8  feet  4.  The  first  belongs  to 
the  first  Mortlake  set  of  Vulcan  and  Venus,  described 
in  a  previous  paragraph  of  this  chapter. 

An  interesting  set  of  Vulcan  and  Venus,  woven 
at  Mortlake  in  the  early  days,  is  one  presented  to 
Charles  Gustave  King  of  Sweden,  in  1657  by  the 
French  King  Louis  XIV  through  his  ambassador 
Terlon.  The  contemporary  inventory  in  French  in 
the  Swedish  archives  is  reprinted  on  page  73  of 
volume  IV  of  Boettiger  Swedish.  Vulcan  at  the 
Forge,  the  smallest  of  the  set,  4.25  metres  by  3.22 
is  the  only  one  that  survives  complete  in  the  Royal 
Swedish  Collection.  Like  the  Hero  and  Leander 
set  in  the  same  collection,  it  shows  in  the  selvage 
the  Mortlake  mark  with  Philip  de  Maecht's  mono- 
gram and  also  that  of  Sir  Francis  Crane. 

A  most  interesting  fact  about  the  Swedish  Vulcan 
and  Venus  tapestries  is  that  before  they  belonged 
to  Louis  XIV  they  were  the  property  of  Cardinal 
Mazarin,  and  are  described  with  sizes  in  the  in- 
ventory prepared  in  1653,  and  first  published  in 
London  in  1861  by  Henri  d'Orleans,  the  Duke 
d'Aumale  {Mazarin  Inventory).  The  description 
reads  in  English: 


°  as 

4>    3    _ 
3  U  5 

eg" 

53   *   s 

tion 
rmo 
nter 

O    .«"     4) 

3    »    O 

al  Co 
on  h 
Vulca 

a   m 

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«    ag 

3    <3    w 

fa   m  £ 

^5    «    ° 

3   *     S 

■-     i>   >n 

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0)     ^     4) 

.3     o    J3 

r/J 

«    o>  H 

p 

3    'jQ 

Z, 

O    3      . 

w 
> 

3    0)   -5 
°   •£    2 

o>  H    2 

o 

.3          ■» 

ft 

.      .    4> 

< 

stries 
Hiss 
all  th 

< 

tape 

liilip 
use 

1-1 

b 

„  a,  « 

f> 

3       . 

r     u     ; 

>   2    go 

4) 

3    *     > 

O 

[can  a 
seum 
t  that 

3 

u 

3    3    3 

w 

4) 

A 

15  g  5 

o  a  *• 

s 

0 

S  2  9 

y 

Two 
e  Me 
st  lett 

>, 

> 

J3     3 

o 

«  o  a 

4) 
IE 
4) 

M     •"     4) 

O     3     41 

C      4)    J= 

W    -     3 
H   J3    5 

*^ 

«*  -S?  u 

►J    R    > 

P,     4)     O 

■s  -2 

124  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

"Vulcan — another  set  of  very  fine  low-warp 
tapestry  hangings  of  wool  and  silk  enriched  with 
gold,  made  in  England,  composed  of  nine  pieces,  in 
which  is  represented  the  Story  of  Vulcan,  having  a 
large  border  all  around  ornamented  with  marks, 
foliage,  and  faces  in  bas-relief  with  shields  of  the 
arms  of  the  house  of  Boukinquan  [the  French  tor- 
tured poor  Buckingham's  name  variously  in  the 
XVII  century],  the    said   tapestry  3K  aunes  high, 

No.  1.  The  Dance 5  aun.  2/3 

No.  2.  The  Assemblage  of  the  gods 

to  see  the  Intrigue 4     "     3/4 

No.  3.  Apollo  watching  Mars  and 

Venus 4     "     3/41/8 

No.  4.  Vulcan  Spreading  the  Net.  .   5     "     2/12 
No.  5.  Complaint     of     Vulcan     to 

Neptune 3     "     2/12 

No.  6.  Apollo  revealing  the  Intrigue  5     "     3/4 
No.  7.  The  Complaint  of  Vulcan  to 

Jupiter 4     "     3/4 

No.  8.  Discovery  of  the  Intrigue  by 

Vulcan 4     "     1/2 

No.  9.  Vulcan  at  the  Forge 2     "     3/4 

in  all  41 H  aunes  lined  with  white  canvas." 

The  Swedish  inventory  mentioned  above,  and  a 
study  of  the  story  as  told  in  Homer's  Odyssey  and 
Ovid's  Metamorphoses,  enable  one  to  rearrange  these 
pictures  in  their  proper  order,  which  is  nos.  1,  3,  6, 
8,  9,  7,  4,  2,  5. 

The  aunes  used  in  the  Mazarin  inventory  are 
French  aunes  46^  inches  long.  The  Flemish  aunes 
used  in  England  were  27  inches  long.     So  that  a 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  125 

square  French  aune  equals  3  square  Flemish  aunes. 
The  number  of  Flemish  aunes  given  by  D.  Burton, 
as  in  the  first  set  of  Vulcan  and  Venus,  woven  at 
Mortlake  (the  gold  sets  being  identical  except  for 
the  gold),  is  479  and  a  fraction.  The  number  of 
square  French  aunes  in  the  Mazarin  set  of  Mortlake 
Vulcan  and  Venus,  obtained  by  multiplying  the 
height  by  the  combined  widths,  is  153  and  a  fraction. 
Multiplying  153  by  3  gives  459,  which  is  what  would 
be  expected,  making  allowance  for  the  shrinkage 
due  to  age. 

The  reader  will  note  that  the  Mazarin  inventory 
describes  the  set  as  bearing  the  arms  of  Buckingham. 
The  one  of  the  set  that  has  survived  in  Sweden  also 
bears  the  arms  of  Buckingham,  but  overlaid  with 
the  arms  of  the  King  of  Sweden. 

Who  designed  the  tapestries  is  a  question  still 
open  for  investigation.  Sir  Sackville  Crow,  in  his 
letter  to  the  Countess  of  Rutland,  dated  May  7, 
1670,  says  Rivieres,  and  he  ought  to  know.  And 
in  the  same  breath  he  refers  to  Mantegna  as  the 
author  of  the  Triumph  of  Caesar  cartoons.  That 
the  designs  originated  in  the  XVI  century  is  clear 
from  the  five  XVI  century  Brussels  tapestries  first 
exhibited  to  the  modern  world  in  Paris  in  1876,  at 
the  exposition  of  the  Union  Centrale,  after  having 
been  long  buried  in  the  grade-meuble  (wardrobe)  of 
the  Chateau  de  la  Roche-Guyon.  One  bears  the 
Brussels  mark  in  the  bottom  selvage  and  all  carry 
the  signature  of  the  maker  in  the  vertical  selvage 
on  the  right — the  letter  R  with  a  tiny  flower  in  gold 


126  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

(See  Alfred  Darcel  on  page  189  of  volume  XVI  of 
the  Gazette  des  Beaux  Arts,  1876).  L 'Art  for  the 
year  1881  gives  large  illustrations  of  all  five  in  line. 
One  of  the  scenes  is  the  same  as  that  in  the  Victoria 
and  Albert  Museum  tapestry  mentioned  above,  and 
another  is  the  same  as  that  of  Mrs.  Von  Zedlitz's 
tapestry,  except  that  the  latter  extends  farther  on 
the  right,  showing  the  whole  of  the  boat  instead  of 
only  part. 

Perhaps  by  Rivieres,  Sir  Sackville  Crow  meant 
George  Van  Der  Riviere,  an  historical  and  decora- 
tive painter  who  worked  for  the  magistracy  of 
Ghent  from  1528  to  1576  (See  Adolphe  Siret, 
Dictionnaire  des  Peintres,  Louvain,   1883). 

However  that  may  be,  the  borders  of  the  Mort- 
lake  tapestries  last  named  are  radically  different 
from  the  XVI  century  borders,  while  the  borders 
of  the  three  panels  belonging  to  Mr.  Hiss  are  the 
same  with  slight  modifications.  These  three  panels 
are  all  signed  with  the  Mortlake  mark  and  two  with 
Philip  de  Maecht's  monogram.  But  the  most  in- 
teresting feature  is  that  these  three  tapestries  all 
carry  in  the  top  border,  added  long  after  the 
tapestries  were  woven,  the  coat  of  arms  (See  plate 
no.  123),  of  Charles-Auguste  Goyon  de  Gace  de 
Matignon  (1 647-1 729),  who  commanded  the  ex- 
pedition fitted  out  in  the  Spring  of  1708  by  Louis 
XIV  to  help  Prince  James  (son  of  James  II  of 
England,  and  known  to  history  as  the  Old  Pretend- 
er), back  to  the  throne  via  Scotland.  He  had  6,000 
French  soldiers  with  him,  and  after  being  delayed 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  127 

a  week  at  Dunkirk  because  Prince  James  fell  ill  of 
the  measles,  finally  set  sail  on  the  night  of  March 
17.  They  had  planned  to  land  at  Leith,  but  the 
French  admiral  missed  the  Firth  of  Forth  in  the 
night  and  being  followed  up  closely  by  the  English 
fleet,  finally  returned  to  Dunkirk.  So  the  expedition 
was  a  complete  failure,  and  the  only  one  who  came 
out  ahead,  as  Voltaire  puts  it,  was  Matignon  who, 
on  opening  his  orders  at  sea,  had  found  himself 
designated  Marshal  of  France.  Evidently  Prince 
James  was  also  beforehand  with  a  token  of  apprecia- 
tion, in  the  form  of  these  three  tapestries. 

No  one  of  the  three  is  the  same  picture  as  any 
of  the  original  set  of  nine.  The  second  and  third 
are  a  pair  designed  in  the  same  style  and  with  the 
same  personages.  The  first  is  different  in  scale 
and  was  evidently  added  at  the  desire  of  the  person 
for  whom  they  were  woven.  These  three  are  shorter 
than  the  original  Mortlake  ones  and  were  clearly 
planned  to  fit  a  particular  room. 

THE   MORRIS   TAPESTRY   WORKS   AT   MERTON 

William  Morris  (1834-96)  who  founded  the 
tapestry  works  at  Merton  near  London  in  1881,  was 
a  genius.  He  had  more  influence  on  the  industrial 
arts,  I  believe,  than  any  other  man  in  the  world's 
history.  He  actually  made  the  blind  see  and  the 
lame  walk.  He  changed  the  whole  point  of  view 
of  thousands  who  buy  art  objects,  and  the  methods 
of  many  who  produce  them. 


128  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

He  had  no  sympathy  with  the  aims  and  methods 
of  the  Royal  Windsor  Tapestry  Works.  In  a  lecture 
the  year  of  their  establishment,  he  said: 

"I  am  sorry  to  have  to  say  that  an  attempt  to 
set  the  art  going,  which  has  been  made,  doubtless 
with  the  best  intentions,  under  royal  patronage  at 
Windsor,  within  the  last  few  years,  has  most  un- 
luckily gone  on  the  lines  of  the  work  at  the  Gobelins, 
and  if  it  does  not  change  its  system  utterly,  is  doomed 
to  artistic  failure,  whatever  its  commercial  success 
may  be." 

The  extraordinary  thing  about  William  Morris's 
revival  of  the  art  of  tapestry  weaving  as  practised 
in  the  XVI  century,  is  that  he  did  it  with  his  own 
hands.  All  other  revivals  with  which  I  am  acquaint- 
ed imported  trained  workmen  from  the  centres  of 
tapestry  production — from  Flanders  to  Italy  and 
other  countries  in  the  XV  century;  from  Flanders 
to  Paris  and  Mortlake  at  the  beginning  of  the  XVII 
century;  from  Beauvais  to  St.  Petersburg  and 
Madrid  at  the  beginning  of  the  XVIII  century; 
from  Aubusson  to  Windsor  and  Williamsbridge  in 
the  XIX  century. 

But  William  Morris  imported  no  workmen  from 
abroad.  Indeed,  he  did  not  approve  of  their  methods. 
He  visited  the  Gobelins  to  see  what  the  mechanism 
was  really  like  and  then  studied  out  the  details  of 
the  craft  from  an  old  French  official  handbook 
published  prior  to  the  Revolution,  had  a  loom  set 
up  in  his  bedroom  at  Kelmscott  House,  Hammer- 
smith,  and  in  order  to  avoid   interfering  with  his 


130  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

other  occupations,  used  to  rise  betimes  and  practise 
weaving  in  the  early  hours  of  the  morning.  In  four 
months  of  the  year  1879  he  spent  no  less  than  516 
hours  at  it.  His  diary  is  headed,  "Diary  of  work 
on  Cabbage  and  Vine  Tapestry,  at  Kelmscott  House, 
Hammersmith.     Begun  May  10,   1879." 

He  was  still  at  it  in  the  spring  of  1881.  On  March 
12,  1 88 1 ,  his  diary  reads  (quoted  in  Mackail's  William 
Morris  II.,  45),  "up  at  7:30,  about  four  hours  tapes- 
try." A  week  later,  "  up  at  6}4,  four  hours  tapestry." 
As  the  mornings  lengthened  in  April,  "up  at  6,  two 
hours  tapestry";   "up  at  5:30,  three  hours  tapestry." 

Morris  had  a  special  affection  for  tapestry.  Four 
years  before  work  was  begun  at  Merton  he  wrote 
to  Mr.  T.  Wardle  in  March,  1877: 

"The  tapestry  is  a  bright  dream  indeed;  but  it 
must  wait  till  I  get  my  carpets  going;  though  have 
had  it  in  my  head  lately,  because  there  is  a  great 
sale  now  on  in  Paris  of  some  of  the  finest  ever  turned 
out;  much  too  splendid  for  anybody  save  the  biggest 
pots  to  buy."  The  sale  referred  to  was  that  of  the 
Duke  of  Berwick  and  Alba's  collection  (See  Alba 
Sale  1877). 

In  November  of  the  same  year  in  another  letter 
to  Mr.  Wardle,  Morris  discusses  the  commercial 
side  of  tapestry:  "Let's  clear  off  what  you  say 
about  the  possibility  of  establishing  a  non-artistic 
manufactory.  You  could  do  it,  of  course;  'tis 
only  a  matter  of  money  and  trouble;  but  cui  bono? 
It  would  not  amuse  you  (unless  I  wholly  misunder- 
stand you),  and  would,  I  am  sure,  not  pay  commcr- 


132  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

cially;  a  cheap  new  article  at  once  showy  and  ugly, 
if  advertised,  with  humbug  enough,  will  sell,  of 
course;  but  an  expensive  article,  even  with  ugliness 
to  recommend  it  ...  I  don't  think  anything  under 
a  Duke  could  sell  it  .  .  .  Nothing  is  so  beautiful 
as  fine  tapestry,  nothing  so  ugly  and  base  as  bad; 
e.g.,  the  Gobelins  or  the  present  Aubusson  work; 
also  tapestry  is  not  for  anything  but  figure  work 
(except  now  and  then  I  shall  mention  wherein  pres- 
ently). The  shuttle  and  loom  beat  it  on  one  side, 
the  needle  on  the  other,  as  pattern-work;  but  for 
figure-work,  'tis  the  only  way  of  making  a  web  into 
a  picture.  .  .  .  The  exception  I  mentioned  above 
would  be  the  making  of  leaf  and  flower  pieces 
(greeneries,  des  verdures),  which  would  generally  be 
used  to  eke  out  a  set  of  figure-pieces.  ...  I  intend 
setting  up  a  frame  and  working  at  it  myself.  .  .  . 
To  recapitulate:  Tapestry  at  its  highest  is  the 
painting  of  pictures  with  coloured  wools  on  a  warp; 
nobody  but  an  artist  can  paint  pictures;  but  a  sort 
of  half-picture,  i.e.,  scroll-work  or  leafage  could 
be  done  .  .   .  under  direction." 

In  March,  1878,  he  writes  to  Mr.  Wardle:  "I 
enclose  a  warp  from  a  sixteenth-century  piece  of 
tapestry,  which  as  you  see  is  worsted:  the  pitch  is 
12  to  the  inch:  nothing  in  tapestry  need  be  finer 
than  this.  In  setting  up  your  work  you  must  re- 
member that  as  tapestry  hangs  on  the  wall  the. 
warps  are  horizontal,  though  of  course  you  weave 
with  them  vertical.  If  you  send  me  the  space  of 
your  loom  I  will  make  a  design  for  it." 


134  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Of  contemporary  French  tapestry  weaving  Morris 
said  in  a  lecture  delivered  in  December,  1877,  and 
reprinted  under  the  title  of  the  Lesser  Arts:  "If 
you  are  curious  on  the  subject  of  its  [tapestry] 
technic  you  may  see  that  going  on  as  in  its  earlier, 
or  let  us  say  its  real,  life  at  the  Gobelins  in  Paris; 
but  it  is  a  melancholy  sight:  the  workmen  are  as 
handy  at  it  as  only  Frenchmen  can  be  at  such  work, 
and  their  skill  is  traditional,  too,  I  have  heard:  for 
they  are  the  sons,  grandsons,  and  great-grandsons 
of  tapestry  weavers.  Well,  their  ingenuity  is  put 
to  the  greatest  pains  for  the  least  results;  it  would 
be  a  mild  word  to  say  that  what  they  make  is  worth- 
less; it  is  more  than  that;  it  has  a  corrupting  and 
deadening  influence  upon  all  the  Lesser  Arts  of 
France,  since  it  is  always  put  forward  as  the  very 
standard  and  crown  of  all  that  these  arts  can  do  at 
the  best;  a  more  idiotic  waste  of  human  labour  and 
skill  it  is  impossible  to  conceive.  There  is  another 
branch  of  the  same  stupidity,  differing  slightly  in 
technic,  at  Beauvais;  and  the  little  town  of  Au- 
busson  in  mid-France  has  a  decaying  commercial 
industry  of  the  like  rubbish." 

In  Morris's  earliest  experiments  in  weaving,  as 
far  back  as  the  year  1878,  he  had  the  assistance  of 
Mr.  J.  W.  Dearie  whom  he  taught  as  he  learned,  and 
who  still  carries  on  the  work  at  Merton.  At  first 
they  confined  themselves  to  floral  designs.  The 
first  figure  tapestry  was  the  Goose  Girl  at  Merton 
in  1 88 1,  from  a  cartoon  by  Walter  Crane.  After 
that,  with  one  exception,  the  figures  were  designed 


ga 


"S3  3 


v   a 

bo   o 


a  -s 


<*4      W 


.2     i> 

w  3 


136  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

by  Burne-Jones,  but  in  the  form  of  wash  drawings 
with  little  colour.  The  colours  were  put  in  and  the 
foliage,  flowers  and  borders  were  designed  by  Morris 
and  Dearie  (See  chapter  IX). 

"At  Merton,"  says  Mr.  Wardle  on  page  47  of 
volume  II  of  Mackail's  William  Morris,  "the  three 
apprentices  Dearie,  Sleath  and  Knight,  lived  in  the 
house.  We  gave  them  board  and  lodging  and  a 
certain  weekly  stipend.  It  is  worth  while  to  note 
that  there  was  no  sort  of  selection  of  these  boys. 

Dearie  was  put  to  the  tapestry  because 

that  business  then  wanted  an  apprentice;  and  so 
of  the  other  two." 

Among  important  tapestries  produced  at  Merton: 
the  Star  of  Bethlehem  for  Exeter  College  Chapel  at 
Oxford  (See  plate  no.  135);  the  Seasons  at  the 
Victoria  and  Albert  Museum;  Flora,  Pomona;  the 
Primavera  of  Botticelli;  Praising  Angels  and  Min- 
istering Angels,  for  Eton  College  Chapel;  the  Pass- 
ing of  Venus,  burned  at  the  Brussels  Exposition  in 
1 910;  scenes  from  the  Roman  de  la  Rose;  David 
instructing  Solomon  in  the  Building  of  the  Temple; 
the  splendid  set  of  four  tapestries  for  Stanmore 
Hall,  picturing  the  Story  of  the  Holy  Grail  (see 
plates  nos.   129,   131,'  133). 

The  last  set  was  awarded  a  Grand  Prize  at  the 
French  Exposition  of  1900,  the  only  non-French 
tapestries  ever  thus  honoured.  No  higher  seal  of 
approval  could  be  set  upon  them. 

Among  later  tapestries  by  other  designers  are 
the    Blindfolding   of   Truth,    by   Byam   Shaw    (See 


TRUTH 

PLATE  no.  137.    The  Blindfolding  of  Truth,  a  tapestry  designed  by  Byam  Shaw  and  woven  at  Merton.     It  shows 
that  the  designer  understands  true  tapestry  technique. 


138  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

plate  no.  137);  the  Chace,  by  Heywood  Sumner;  a 
large  historical  tapestry  commemorating  King  George 
V's  coronation,  adapted  from  Bernard  Partridge's 
famous  cartoon  "The  Arming  of  the  King";  a 
tapestry  designed  by  Mrs.  Adrian  Stokes  illustrating 
Schiller's  lines, 

Ehret  die  Frauen,  sie  flechten  und  weben 
Himmlische  Rosen  auf  irdischer  Leben. 

It  is  worth  noting  that  Merton  tapestries  are 
comparatively  coarse  in  texture — from  10  to  16  ribs 
to  the  inch. 

THE   ROYAL  WINDSOR  TAPESTRY   WORKS 

The  organisation  of  the  Royal  Windsor  Tapestry 
Works  in  1876  was  due  to  Mr.  H.  Henry,  art  director 
of  a  London  decorative  firm,  and  to  Prince  Leopold. 
While  Mr.  Henry  was  on  a  professional  visit  to  Boy- 
ton  Manor,  the  Prince's  country  seat,  the  latter,  who 
was  examining  a  piece  of  old  tapestry  that  hung  in 
the  hall,  said:  "Ah,  they  don't  make  tapestry 
now."  "Only  at  the  Gobelins  and  Aubusson," 
returned  Mr.  Henry.  "Why  don't  they  make  it 
in  England?"  asked  the  Prince.  "Why  don't  you 
start  a  manufactory?"  "It  ought  to  be  a  national 
thing,"  responded  Mr.  Henry.  "If  your  Highness 
would  only  become  president  of  such  an  establish- 
ment and  give  me  your  support,  a  committee  might 
be  organised  who  would  carry  the  project  out." 

The  Prince  responded  graciously  and  acted  prompt- 
ly, obtaining  the  sanction  of  his  mother,  the  Queen, 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  139 

and  becoming  president  of  the  committee,  of  which 
the  distinguished  sculptor,  Lord  Ronald  Gower,  was 
secretary.  Among  the  members  of  the  committee 
were  the  Duke  of  Westminster,  Sir  Richard  Wallace, 
Mr.  Cunliffe  Owen,  director  of  the  South  Kensing- 
ton Museum,  the  Duke  of  Leinster,  the  Marquis  of 
Bute,  the  Duchess  of  Cleveland.  A  small  house 
was  leased  at  Windsor  on  the  other  side  of  the  Long 
Walk,  and  at  the  end  of  two  years,  eight  looms 
were  in  operation  (See  page  106  of  the  Art  Journal 
for  1878).  For  a  series  of  panels  picturing  the  Story 
of  the  Merry  Wives  of  Windsor,  the  Windsor  Works 
received  a  gold  medal  at  the  Paris  Exposition  of 
1878.  Among  the  first  tapestries  woven  at  Windsor 
were  a  sofa  covering  for  Queen  Victoria;  the  Start 
for  the  Hunt,  the  Boar  Hunt,  the  Finish  of  the 
Hunt;  the  Battle  of  Aylesford  A.D.  455.  Other 
tapestries  woven  at  Windsor  were  the  Four  Seasons; 
a  set  of  the  Morte  d 'Arthur;  Views  of  the  Royal 
Residences,  Windsor  Castle,  Buckingham  Palace, 
Balmoral  Castle,  Osborne  House;  four  for  the 
corporation  of  London  entitled  a  Tournament  on 
London  Bridge,  Queen  Elizabeth  Opening  the  Royal 
Exchange,  the  City  Champion  receiving  the  Banner 
of  the  City  on  the  steps  of  Old  St.  Paul's,  Queen 
Victoria  visiting  the  Mansion  House  on  the  Occasion 
of  her  Jubilee  in  1887. 

At  the  Chicago  Exposition  in  1893,  Americans 
had  an  opportunity  to  see  in  the  Art  Building  a 
number  of  verdure  panels  woven  at  Windsor. 

Why   the   enterprise   failed   to   achieve   a   lasting 


140  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

success  was  suggested  by  the  late  William  Baum- 
garten  in  a  lecture  held  before  the  Society  of  Anti- 
quarians in  the  Art  Institute  of  Chicago,  March 
25,  1897.     He  said: 

"I  had  occasion  in  1882  to  visit  the  works  for 
the  purpose  of  inspecting  the  progress  of  the  tapes- 
tries then  being  made  for  the  hall  and  staircase  wall 
frieze  in  the  residence  of  Mr.  C.  Vanderbilt.  This 
was  intended  for  his  new  residence  at  the  corner  of 
Fifth  Avenue  and  57th  Street  which  was  then  being 
erected,  the  first  half  of  his  present  residence.  The 
works  were  located  in  an  old  roomy  country  house 
surrounded  with  a  large  garden,  shaded  by  vines  and 
large  trees,  and  the  looms  were  distributed  over  the 
various  rooms 

"The  works  were  managed  by  two  different 
councils — the  Council  of  Patrons  under  the  presi- 
dency of  Prince  Leopold,  and  the  Council  of  Artists, 
five  in  number,  under  the  presidency  of  Mr.  Henry. 
The  duties  of  the  Council  of  Patrons  seem  to  have 
been  chiefly  to  constantly  provide  funds  for  carrying 
on  the  works,  and  eventually  to  take  a  large  part 
of  the  product  at  enormous  prices.  The  Council 
of  Artists  held  monthly  meetings,  discussing  the 
weal  and  woe  of  the  new  industry,  drawing  large 
salaries  and  awarding  to  themselves  the  painting 
of  the  cartoons,  at  large  compensations. 

"Of  course  the  result  was  that  the  productions 
became  so  high  that  the  prices  charged  the  noble 
clients  and  patrons  were  out  of  all  proportion  to 
their  value,   and  while  they  allowed  themselves  to 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  141 

be  victimised  for  a  few  years  in  the  interest  of 
national  glory  and  in  belief  that,  after  a  fair  start 
things  would  mend  in  the  way  of  economy,  they  at 
last  became  aware  of  the  utter  inability  of  the 
management  to  make  the  work  self-supporting  and 
virtually  ceased  their  contributions  from  the  Queen 
down,  and  the  collapse  was  the  immediate  result. 
This  occurred  in  1887,  after  an  existence  of  a  little 
over  ten  years." 

That  Ireland  had  a  tapestry  factory  in  the  XVII 
century  is  proved  by  the  petition  in  1689  of  John 
Lovett,  late  of  Dublin,  who  stated  that  he  had  been 
forced  by  troubles  out  of  Ireland  and  brought  with 
him  thirty-eight  pieces  of  tapestries  hangings  "of 
their  Majesties  Manufacture  of  Ireland  containing 
767^  ells." 

OTHER   ENGLISH   LOOMS 

During  the  XIV,  XV,  XVI  centuries,  tapestry 
weaving  in  England  was  not  an  important  industry. 
The  English  were  content,  with  a  few  sporadic  ex- 
ceptions, to  ship  wool  to  Flanders  and  get  back  arras 
(tapestry),  in  exchange.  And  what  tapestries  were 
woven  in  England,  we  may  feel  quite  sure  were 
woven  by  Flemish  weavers.  The  frequent  occur- 
rence of  the  word  tapissier  in  early  documents  proves 
nothing,  for  it  denotes  not  only  tapestry  weavers 
but  also  weavers  of  rugs  and  carpets,  and  draperies 
not  tapestries,  and  the  upholsterers  who  kept  local 
wardrobes  in  repair.     The  term  "weaver  of  arras," 


142  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

as  employed  in  Edinburgh  in  1467  to  designate  John 
Dolace  who,  until  i486,  received  a  regular  annuity, 
is  more  significant.  In  1561  the  municipal  authorities 
of  Sandwich  sent  to  Secretary  Cecil  as  a  present,  six 
arras  cushions,  the  "first  work  of  the  strangers  in 
town,"  Flemish  weavers  who  had  emigrated  because 
of  religious  persecution. 

That  a  tapestry  factory  was  established  in  England 
about  the  middle  of  the  XVI  century,  at  least  one 
tapestry  remains  to  prove.  This  was  illustrated  in 
colour  in  the  Art  Journal  for  November,  191 1,  and 
described  by  Mr.  Thomson  in  the  Art  Journal  for 
July,  191 1.  In  the  centre  is  the  coat  of  arms  of 
William,  First  Earl  of  Pembroke  (1 501-1570).  On 
the  right,  a  small  circular  panel  picturing  Luxuria, 
one  of  the  seven  deadly  sins;  on  the  left,  Superbia. 
The  ground  and  main  part  of  the  tapestry  that  is 
7  feet  8  by  13,  is  covered  with  quaint  designs  in 
the  Grotesque  style  that  Raphael  and  his  followers 
copied  from  ancient  unburied  Rome,  and  that  is 
incorrectly  called  Arabesque.  The  Grotesque  de- 
signs in  this  tapestry  are  rich  with  all  the  exuberance 
of  the  Italian  Renaissance. 

It  was  woven  about  1565  at  Barcheston  by 
Richard  Hyckes,  who  had  recently  established  a 
tapestry  plant  there  and  at  Weston,  under  the 
patronage  of,  and  with  financial  backing  from,  an 
English  country  squire,  William  Sheldon.  It  was 
at  his  instigation  that  Hyckes  had  visited  the  Nether- 
lands to  study  the  weaving  of  tapestry,  and  doubtless 
bring    back    with    him    Flemish    weavers.     Squire 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  143 

Sheldon  was  anxious  that  his  son  should  continue 
to  foster  the  infant  industry,  because  it  supplied 
a  trade  to  train  youths  in  and  was  a  means  of 
retaining  great  sums  of  money  within  the  kingdom. 
His  words  were  listened  to,  for  in  1592,  twenty- two 
years  after  Squire  Sheldon's  death,  "Bess  of  Hard- 
wycke,"  Countess  of  Shrewsbury,  paid  Mr.  Sheldon's 
man  for  "seventene  armses  to  set  upon  hangings 
XXXs.  iiijd."  and  also  ten  shillings  to  hang  the 
tapestries. 

In  the  Bodleian  Library  at  Oxford  University  are 
preserved  two  large  fragments  of  tapestry  maps, 
one  of  which  is  signed  WIGORN.  COMI.  COM- 
PLETATA  RIC.  HYCKE  which  filled  out  and 
translated  means:  Warwickshire  (the  county  of 
Warwick)  executed  by  Richard  Hyckes.  Below 
the  signature  that  is  on  a  ribbon  half-way  up  on  the 
left  side  of  the  tapestry  is  a  compass  and  a  scale 
of  miles,  three  to  the  inch.  The  various  towns, 
villages,  churches,  manor-houses  and  bridges  are 
shown  on  the  map  after  the  manner  of  a  birdseye 
view,  and  accurately.  The  second  Bodleian  tapestry 
map  shows  the  valley  of  the  Thames  and  the  counties 
of  Oxford  and  Berks.  Especially  interesting  is 
the  Thames  from  London  Bridge  to  Brentford, 
showing  Westminster  Palace,  Hampstead  Heath 
with  its  three  windmills,  etc.  The  borders  of  both 
maps  are  definitely  Italian  Renaissance  in  style 
like  that  of  the  Pembroke  Grotesque  tapestry. 

Much  later  in  date  as  the  borders  show — borders 
woven  in  imitation  of  heavy  wooden  frames,  with  a 


144  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Cupid-borne  cartouche  above  containing  a  blue 
oval,  and  a  cartouche  below  containing  a  tiny  land- 
scape with  the  goddess  Ceres  recumbent  in  the 
foreground — are  the  three  tapestry  maps  pre- 
served in  the  Museum  of  the  Philosophical  Society 
at  York.  One  of  them  is  signed  by  Francis  Hickes, 
OXONII  ET  BERCHERIAE  COMITATUS 
COMPLETATA  PER  FRANCISCUM  HICKES. 
The  panel  is  13  feet  by  17  feet  9  inside  of  the  border 
that  is  20  inches  wide.  It  bears  the  coat  of  arms 
of  Ralph  Sheldon,  born  in  1623  and  died  in  1684. 

Among  other  tapestries  attributed  to  the  Sheldon 
factory  is  the  magnificent  set  of  the  Seasons  at 
Hatfield  House.  One  of  them,  Winter,  was  illustrated 
in  half-tone  in  the  Art  Journal  for  August,  191 1. 
All  the  four  tapestries  bear  the  coat  of  arms  of  Sir 
John  Tracey  of  Doddington  in  Gloucestershire,  who 
was  knighted  by  James  I,  appointed  High  Steward 
in  1609,  and  became  Viscount  Tracey  in  1642.  The 
style  of  the  tapestries  and  borders  is  pronouncedly 
Renaissance — luxuriant  floral  and  fruit  ornament. 
The  borders  are  filled  with  a  wealth  of  small  round 
medallions  that  illustrate  Latin  captions  placed 
above  or  below  each.  Three  signs  of  the  Zodiac 
also  in  small  round  medallions  appear  in  the  body 
of  each  tapestry  at  the  top.  The  colours  are  strong 
and  fresh,  and  the  texture  is  fine. 

The  composition  of  the  four  tapestries  is  similar 
— a  large  central  figure,  iEolus  for  Winter,  Venus 
for  Spring,  Ceres  for  Summer,  Bacchus  for  Autumn. 
^Eolus  in  Winter  is  a   majestic  almost  nude  figure 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  145 

seated  on  the  four  winds,  crowned  and  holding  a 
bridle.  On  the  left  an  ox  is  being  slaughtered,  on 
the  right  a  pig.  In  the  background  on  the  right 
ships  struggling  in  a  Wintry  sea,  on  the  left  dogs 
and  men  hunting.  In  one  of  the  borders,  appended 
to  a  Latin  caption,  appears  the  date  1611. 

Mr.  Thomson  suggests  that  there  is  "reason  to 
believe"  the  fine  set  of  four  tapestries  in  Holyrood 
Palace,  picturing  Children  Playing  after  Giulio 
Romano,  came  from  the  Sheldon  looms.  Under 
the  name  of  the  Naked  Boys  this  was  a  favourite 
set  at  Mortlake.  But  the  almost  complete  simi- 
larity of  the  borders  of  the  Holyrood  tapestries 
with  the  borders  of  the  York  maps  mentioned 
above,  suggests  a  common  origin.  These  borders 
are  certainly  as  late  as  the  last  half  of  the  XVII 
century. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  XVII  century  some  of 
the  Mortlake  workmen  appear  to  have  set  up  for 
themselves  on  a  small  scale.  In  1670  through  the 
influence  of  Sir  Sackville  Crow,  William  Benood, 
tapissier  of  Lambeth,  secured  an  order  from  the 
Countess  of  Rutland  for  six  pieces  of  Vulcan  and 
Venus  tapestry  9  feet  deep  at  25s.  an  ell.  The  set 
was  as  follows: 

Mars,  Venus,  and  Apollo,  12  feet  long. 
Vulcan  and  the  Gods,  10  feet  long. 
Neptune  and  Vulcan,  8  feet  9  inches  long. 
Vulcan  drawing  the  Net,  8  feet  6  inches  long. 
Vulcan  forging,  8  feet  6  inches  long. 
Vulcan  and  Cupid,  8  feet  3  inches  long. 


146  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

These  tapestries  were  without  borders  and  were 
in  sizes  calculated  from  the  wall  spaces  in  the 
Countess's  new  dining-room — shorter  and  much 
narrower  than  the  Vulcan  and  Venus  tapestries 
woven  for  Charles  I  at  Mortlake.  These  Lambeth 
tapestries  are  now  in  Haddon  Hall. 

In  1676  the  King  paid  Thomas  Poyntz,  who  in 
1667,  had  joined  Francus  Poyntz  in  a  memorial  to 
the  King  on  the  revival  of  tapestry  weaving,  £451 
18s.  4d.,  for  eight  pieces  of  tapestry  at  27s.  6d.  per 
ell.  Ten  years  later  he  received  £8  10s.  per  ell 
for  three  unusually  fine  tapestries  enriched  with 
gold  to  decorate  the  Queen's  chamber  at  Windsor 
Castle.  The  subject  was  the  Months.  A  panel 
representing  November  and  December,  part  of  a 
set  formerly  in  Houghton  and  signed  by  Thomas 
Poyntz,  was  sold  in  London  in  1802.  Thomas 
Poyntz  also  wove  four  fine  pieces  at  £8  per  ell 
(142^  ells),  for  the  Queen's  bedchamber  in  White- 
hall. 

After  1689,  when  John  Vanderbank  became 
manager  (yeoman  arras-maker),  of  the  King's  Great 
Wardrobe,  Great  Queen  Street  in  Soho  seems  to 
have  become  the  centre  of  tapestry  production. 
So  famous  was  he  by  17 18  that  the  Tatler  says  that 
"no  person  ever  represented  Nature  more  happily 
in  works  of  Tapestry."  At  Glenham  Hall  there 
are  four  Indo-Chinese  tapestries  woven  by  him, 
that  were  formerly  the  property  of  Elihu  Yale, 
founder  of  Yale  College.  The  designs  like  that  of 
plate  147,  and  like  two  at  Belton  signed  by  Vander- 


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«- 

148  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

bank,  resemble  those  of  contemporary  lacquer  work 
from  which  they  were  probably  adapted.  Vander- 
bank  also  wove  the  Elements,  after  Lebrun,  for 
several  patrons.  Three  pieces  bearing  the  arms  of 
John,  fifth  Earl  of  Exeter  (i 678-1 760),  at  Burley 
House  are  signed  J.  V.  D.  B.,  the  initials  of  John 
Vanderbank.  Vanderbank  wove  a  number  of  tapes- 
tries for  the  Crown  in  addition  to  keeping  the  Crown 
tapestries  in  repair,  and  was  active  until  1727,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  Moses  Vanderbank. 

About  Stephen  Demay  we  know  from  the  corre- 
spondence and  accounts  preserved  at  Burley-on-the- 
Hill,  a  mansion  built  by  Daniel  Finch,  second  Earl 
of  Nottingham,  in  the  reign  of  William  and  Mary. 
The  documents  date  from  the  years  1 700-1 708,  and 
I  am  indebted  for  my  facts  about  them  to  an  article 
by  Pearl  Finch  in  the  Connoisseur,  that  contains 
half-tone  illustrations  of  two  of  the  four  Hero  and 
Leander,  and  two  of  the  nine  Acts  of  the  Apostles 
tapestries,  woven  by  Demay  for  the  noble  Earl. 
The  two  Hero  and  Leander  panels  are  the  same 
pictures  as,  and  undoubtedly  copies  of,  Cleyn's 
original  cartoons  mentioned  earlier  in  the  chapter, 
from  which  was  woven  for  King  Charles  I  by  Philip 
de  Maecht  the  set  enriched  with  gold  and  silver 
that  is  now  in  the  Royal  Swedish  Collection  (4^ 
pieces  out  of  6).  The  borders  of  the  Nottingham 
copies  are  much  narrower  and  less  interesting  than 
those  of  the  original  set,  and  of  course  contain  the 
Nottingham  instead  of  the  Royal  arms.  Miss 
Finch  thinks  that  the  set  cost  from  £300  to  £400. 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  149 

The  set  was  recently  repaired  and  restored,  and 
there  is  a  similar  set  in  the  possession  of  Lord 
Newton  of  Lyme.  The  Earl  of  Nottingham's  ac- 
count book  shows  under  date  of  1704,  a  small  pen- 
and-ink  sketch  and  in  his  own  handwriting: 

"The  Great  Sweemer,  9  ft.  9  in.;  The  Temple,  a 
great  piece  reduced  conveniently  to  the  dimensions, 
9  ft.  9  in.;  Hero  and  Leander,  both  dead,  15  ft.  10 
in.;  Father,  Son,  and  Ship,  15  ft.  10  in.;  The  Depth 
— the  first  peece  to  have  both  borders — the  second 
only  ye  right  hand  border,  the  third  only  ye  left 
hand  border,  the  fourth  to  have  both  borders." 

Again  in  1708:  "The  peece  of  the  Ship  contaign- 
ing  twenty-two  ells,  a  quarter  &  half  a  quarter,  the 
peece  of  the  Sweemer,  twenty-one  ells,  three-quarters 
&  a  half.  The  peece  of  the  Dead  contaigning 
thirty-five  ells.  The  ship,  35.  The  Temple,  22)4. 
The  Sweemer,  21^.  The  Dead,  35.  Total,  114^. 
The  goeing,  £0  17  06.  The  Canvas,  £1  08  00. 
Total,  £2  05  06.  For  box  &  Carriche  backward  & 
forward,  £0  09  00.  Total  £2  14  06."  And  earlier: 
"Paid  Mr.  Demay  ye  Tapestry  Maker  more  on 
account  of  ye  Leander  Hangings,  £50."  "Mr. 
Demay  ye  Tapestry  maker  on  account,  £100." 
"Paid  Mr.  Demay  in  full  for  the  Hero  &  Leandre, 

£30." 

Lord  Nottingham's  Acts  of  the  Apostles  were 
the  same  pictures  as  those  woven  at  Mortlake  from 
the  Raphael  cartoons  now  at  the  Victoria  and  Albert 
Museum,  except  that  Christ's  Charge  to  Peter  was 
woven  in  two  pieces  with  the  figure  of  the  Good 


150  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Shepherd  in  a  panel  by  itself;  and  the  Death  of 
Sapphira  was  added,  perhaps  designed  especially 
for  Lord  Nottingham.  The  borders  are  distinctly 
Late  XVII  century  in  style  and  much  inferior  to 
the  ones  used  at  Mortlake.  They  show  the  Notting- 
ham coat  of  arms  in  top  border,  and  the  side  borders 
are  marble  columns.  The  account  book  gives  the 
combined  width  of  the  nine  pieces  as  142  feet  7 
inches  and: 

"  Paid  Mr.  Demay  in  full  for  nine  pieces  of  Apostle 
Hangings,  £700;  paid  Mr.  Demay  for  twenty-nine 
ells  added  to  the  Apostles  Hangings  in  full  of  all 
demands,  £58.     Total  £758." 

Very  interesting  is  Demay's  letter  to  Lord  Not- 
tingham on  the  completion  of  the  cartoons: 

"My  Lord, — I  make  bold  to  acquaint  your  Lord- 
ship that  ye  cartoons  are  done  according  to  your 
Lordship's  dimensions.  If  his  Lordship  would  be 
pleased  to  send  me  how  I  must  start  them  down 
and  shall  follow  your  Lordship's  order  accordingly. 
I  have  got  ye  scratches  of  ye  fine  French  roles,  and 
if  your  Ldsp.  will  be  pleased  to  have  them  sent  down 
with  ye  hangings  it  shall  be  done.  The  piece  of  ye 
Blind,  three  additions  to  four  ells  and  half  a  quarter, 
the  addition  of  Paul  preaching  comes  to  eleven  ells 
a  quarter  and  half  a  quarter,  the  addition  of  ye 
piece  of  sacrifice  comes  to  thirteen  ells  and  three- 
quarters,  in  all  twenty-nine  ells  one  quarter,  at  two 
pounds  per  ell  comes  to  fifty-eight  pounds  ten  shillings 
for  fourteen  days  of  three  men's  labour,  or  joining 
them  at  two  shillings  a  day  per  man  four  pounds, 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  151 

wch  in  all  comes  to  sixty-two  pounds  fourteen  which 
with  ye  fore  bill,  comes  to  £42  14s.,  wch  I  beg  ye 
favour  of  your  Lordship  to  be  so  kind  as  to  send  it 
to  me,  I  being  in  soe  great  want  of  it  that  I  am  forced 
to  send  mans  away  for  want  of  money,  therefore  I 
hope  your  Lordship  will  have  pitty  upon  me.  .  .  . 
I  am  with  great  respect  to  your  Lordship. 

"Your  most  humble  and  most  obedient  servant  to 
command, 

"STEEVEN    DEMAY." 

Also  interesting  is  Lord  Nottingham's  letter  to 
Demay  dated  August  23,  1700: 

"These  three  pieces  following  must  be  enlarged  in 
which  care  must  be  taken  first  that  the  Coat  of 
Arms  in  ye  upper  border  and  ye  blank  space  in  ye 
bottom  border  be  placed  in  ye  middle  of  each  piece 
when  enlarged  to  ye  following  dimensions,  herein- 
after directed,  and  in  this  case  either  add  all  yt  is 
wanting  to  make  up,  the  dimensions  to  one  side  of 
ye  piece  of  hangings,  or  part  of  one  side  and  ye  rest 
on  ye  other,  according  as  you  find  best,  taking  ye 
border  part  of  ye  cartoon,  which  is  not  yet  in  ye 
hangings  to  ye  dimensions  required,  choose  out  of 
ye  other  cartoons  such  figures  as  will  best  quit  with 
ye  piece  which  is  to  be  enlarged,  and  to  the  piece 
of  the  Sacrifice  sow  on  a  piece  of  girt  web  one  half 
loose  hanging  to  ye  middle  in  ye  corner  of  ye  room 
at  ye  distance  from  ye  left  hand." 

Other  XVIII  century  tapestry  works  in  England 
were  those  of  Peter  Parisot  at  Fulham,  and  of  Paul 


152  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Saunders  at  Soho.  The  Fulham  works  had  a  life 
of  only  five  years  in  spite  of  the  backing  of  the  Duke 
of  Cumberland.  The  catalogue  of  the  closing  out 
sale  in  1755  shows  rugs  in  savonnerie  weave,  and 
tapestry  furniture  coverings  and  screen  panels,  but 
no  important  wall  hangings.  Paul  Saunders  merits 
more  attention.  His  work  reminds  one  of  that  of 
his  Brussels  contemporary  Daniel  Leyniers.  A  set 
in  the  possession  of  the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  land- 
scape compositions  with  ruined  temples  and  peasants, 
is  signed  P.  Saunders  Soho,  1758.  Other  charac- 
teristic tapestries  by  him  show  a  laden  camel  with 
attendant  bearing  a  lance,  a  horse  with  pink  drapery 
and  a  man  wearing  a  turban,  two  women  playing 
dice.  From  1760  to  1770  Saunders  did  important 
work  altering  and  repairing  the  tapestries  of  the 
Great  Wardrobe.  The  English  XVIII  century 
weaver  named  Bradshaw,  we  know  from  his  signa- 
ture on  a  sofa  at  Belton  House — illustrated  in 
colour  in  the  Art  Journal  for  October,  191 1,  and 
described  by  Mr.  Francis  Lenygon — and  from  two 
overdoor  pieces  picturing  Venus,  Vulcan  and  Cupid, 
made  for  Holkham  House. 


idUUlllIUlU! 


CHAPTER  VI 

French  Looms 

The  Gobelins:  Beauvais:  Aubusson 

For  two  and  a  half  centuries  the  name  most 
famous  in  tapestry  weaving  has  been  the  Gobelins; 
since  September,  1667,  when  Colbert,  as  it  is  put 
in  French  by  the  inscription  on  the  right  of  the 
entrance  gate,  "established  in  the  buildings  of  the 
Gobelins  the  furniture  factory  of  the  Crown  under 
the  direction  of  Charles  Lebrun." 

But  the_  French,  not  satisfied  with  the  glories  of 
the  Gobelins  and  with  their  undoubted  right  to 
share  in  the  early  tapestry  glories  of  Arras  and  the 
French  Netherlands — especially  before  1477,  when 
the  French  Netherlands  passed  by  inheritance  from 
Burgundian  to  Imperial  and  Spanish  control — are 
always  endeavouring  to  prove  that  Paris  and  other 
French  cities  far  from  the  Flemish  frontier,  excelled 
in  the  art  of  tapestry  weaving  centuries  before  1667. 
The  pre-eminence  of  one  Paris  maker — Nicolas 
Bataille — at  the  end  of  the  XIV  century  M.  Guiffrey 
has  established  (See  my  chapter  on  Gothic  Tapes- 
tries). That  Gothic  tapestries  were  woven  in  other 
parts  of  France  sporadically  is  also  certain.  But 
that  France  was  a  serious  rival  or  indeed  a  rival  at 

153 


154  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

all  of  Flanders  in  tapestry  weaving  in  the  XV  and 
XVI  centuries  is  not  worthy  of  discussion. 

About  1535  Francois  I  installed  weavers  at 
Fontainebleau  under  the  management  of  the  Treas- 
urer of  France,  Philibert  Babou,  and  under  the 
artistic  direction  of  the  celebrated  Italian  architect 
Sebastien  Serlio.  The  cartoons  are  said  to  have 
been  supplied  by  Primaticcio  who  was  in  the  service 
of  Francois,  and  by  his  assistant,  Matteo  del  Nassaro 
of  Verona.  We  know  that  Primaticcio  made  the 
designs  for  a  Scipio  series  of  tapestries,  and  on  the 
King's  order  carried  them  to  Flanders  in  1534  to 
have  them  woven  there.  The  Fontainebleau  tapes- 
try plant  is  said  to  have  continued  active  under 
Philibert  Delorme,  during  part  of  the  reign  of  Henri 
II.  To  Delorme  are  attributed  four  pieces  pictur- 
ing the  Story  of  Diana  now  in  the  Chateau  d'Anet. 
The  borders  are  particularly  rich  and  ingenious  and 
distinctly  French. 

When  Henri  II  resumed  his  residence  in  Paris,  he 
interested  himself  in  tapestry  weaving  there,  and 
on  September  12,  1551,  Parliament  confirmed,  the 
royal  letter  establishing  a  tapestry  school  for  orphans 
in  the  Hopital  de  la  Trinite,  Rue  Saint-Denis.  In 
this  establishment  Henri's  queen  Catherine  de  Medi- 
cis  was  also  intereste^TTespecially  after  the  King's 
death,  when  she  had  the  celebrated  Story  of  Mausolus 
and  Artemisia,  symbolic  of  her  own  life-story,  woven 
into  tapestry  on  the  Trinite  looms,  after  designs  by 
Henri  Lerambert  and  Antoine  Caron.  The  series 
was   immensely    popular    and    was    repeated    many 


156  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

times.  In  1627  the  French  Royal  Collection  con- 
tained 79  of  these  tapestries  in  20  sets,  to-day  27 
in  4  sets.  Another  Trinite  set  was  the  Life  of  Christ 
woven  for  the  Church  of  Saint-Merri  by  one  of  the 
orphan  apprentices,  Maurice  Dubourg.  The  con- 
tract bears  the  date  1584  and  is  preserved  in  the 
Musee  Carnavalet.  Of  the  set  only  two  fragments 
now  remain,  a  head  of  Christ  at  the  Gobelins  and  of 
Saint  Peter  at  the  Cluny.  A  set  picturing  the 
Story  of  Saint  Crispin  and  Saint  Crispinian  was 
presented  to  the  Cathedral  Notre  Dame  de  Paris 
by  the  shoemakers  of  the  city.  One  of  the  pieces 
bearing  the  date  1635  is  now  in  the  museum  at  the 
Gobelins. 

In  1607  we  find  that  the  Maurice  Dubourg  men- 
tioned above  had  left  the  Trinite  and  was  associated 
with  Henri  Laurent  at  the  Louvre  in  weaving  tapes- 
tries for  the  king  Henri  IV.  Among  tapestries 
attributed  to  them  by  the  Louis  XIV  Inventory,  are 
those  designed  by  Simon  Vouet,  on  Old  Testament 
subjects  such  as  Moses  Saved  from  the  Waters,  and 
the  Daughters  of  Jeptha,  splendid  examples  of  which 
are  in  the  French  National  Collection.  Others  that 
have  been  preserved  are  the  Sacrifice  of  Abraham, 
the  Translation  of  Elijah,  Samson  at  the  Feast 
of  the  Philistines.  The  borders  are  sumptuous  and 
resemble  the  Mortlake  ones  to  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles. 

The  Gobelins  is  a  most  interesting  place,  open 
to  visitors  on  Wednesday  and  Saturday  afternoons 
from  1  to  3.     The  trip  is  an  easy  one  by  street  car 


iitUliJHIUlUI 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  157 

or  motor  bus  from  the  Halles  across  to  the  left  bank 
of  the  Seine  and  out  the  Avenue  des  Gobelins.  The 
entrance  to  the  courtyard  of  the  establishment  with 
LES  GOBELINS  on  the  gate  beneath  RF  is  simple 
but  impressive.  On  each  side  of  the  gate  are  tablets 
bearing  inscriptions. 

The  one  on  the  left  shows  where  the  works  got 
the  name:  "Jean  and  Philibert  Gobelin,  merchant 
dyers  of  scarlet,  who  have  left  their  name  to  this 
quarter  of  Paris  and  to  the  tapestry  factory,  had 
their  works  here  at  the  end  of  the  XV  century." 
Jean  Gobelin,  it  may  be  added,  settled  there  about 
1440.  He  left  a  large  family.  His  descendants 
prospered,  and  from  dyers  finally  became  financiers, 
two  of  them  at  the  end  of  the  XVI  century  acting 
as  first  presidents  of  the  Chamber  of  Accounts,  and 
another  acquiring  the  title  of  Marquis  of  Brunvillers. 

By  the  beginning  of  the  XVII  century,  dyeing 
was  an  industry  beneath  the  dignity  of  the  family 
of  the  Gobelins,  and  they  were  glad  to  dispose  of 
the  property.  But  the  name  remained  and  attached 
itself  to  the  tapestry  industry,  established  here  by 
Comans  and  Planche  in  1601,  to  such  an  extent, 
that  in  Germany  gobelin  still  is,  and  elsewhere  for 
a  time  was,  the  name  for  any  picture  tapestry,  even 
one  woven  in  Flanders  long  before  Jean  Gobelin 
settled  on  the  banks  of  the  Bievre. 

Part  of  the  inscription  on  the  right  of  the  entrance 
gate  of  the  Gobelins  has  already  been  quoted.  The 
rest  reads:  "Agril,  1601,  Marc  de  Comans  and 
Francois  de  la  Planche,  Flemish  tapestry  weavers, 


158  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

instal  their  workrooms  on  the  banks  of  the  Bievre." 
The  Bievre  is  the  little  stream  in  the  rear,  now 
covered  and  no  longer  used,  that  was  greatly  cher- 
ished by  dyers  of  red  in  ancient  days,  because  of 
the  special  virtues  that  made  its  water  suitable  for 
their  purpose.  Frans  Van  Den  Planken  (the  Flemish 
form  of  the  name),  came  from  Audenarde,  Marc  de 
Comans  from  Brussels.  Both  claimed  to  be  gentle- 
men by  birth  and  were  very  scrupulous  about  signing 
themselves  as  such  in  commercial  documents  and 
papers. 

Although  their  partnership  was  formed  and  be- 
came active  in  January,  1601,  for  the  manufacture 
of  tapestries  and  other  commercial  operations  in 
France,  such  as  draining  the  marshes  of  Charentes, 
shipping  wheat  to  the  Knights  of  Malta,  manufac- 
turing soap,  etc.,  the  Royal  Edict  of  Henri  IV 
officially  incorporating  the  business,  and  granting 
it  large  subventions  and  important  privileges  while 
imposing  on  it  heavy  burdens  like  the  training  of 
apprentices  and  the  opening  of  tapestry  works  in 
the  provinces,  is  dated  1607.  This  is  the  edict,  a 
copy  of  which  helped  the  English  organise  the  works 
at  Mortlake. 

As  might  be  expected  from  the  fact  that  Philip  de 
Maecht  signed  his  monogram  to  tapestries  at  both 
establishments,  these  early  Gobelin  tapestries  resem- 
ble the  Mortlake  ones  in  many  respects,  particularly 
in  the  rich  woven  frames.  That  the  enterprise 
prospered  is  proved  by  correspondence  discovered 
in  the  archives  of  the  Barberini  family.     That  the 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  159 

greatest  painters  were  employed,  by  a  letter  dated 
February  26,  1626,  from  Rubens  dunning  M. 
Valaves  for  the  money  due  on  the  designs  for  the 
Story  of  Constantine.  In  the  inventory  of  the 
property  of  Francois  de  la  Planche  made  on  his 
death  in  1627,  these  designs  are  described  as: 
"Douze  petits  desseins  peints  en  huille  sur  des 
planches  de  bois,  de  la  main  de  Pierre-Paul  Rubens, 
representant  l'Histoire  de  Constantin."  These  de- 
signs were  woven  again  and  again  and  there  are 
several  examples  of  each  in  the  French  National 
Collection    (See  plate  no.  331). 

After  the  death  of  Planche,  Comans  and  his  sons 
continued  in  business  at  the  Gobelins,  but  Planche's 
son,  Raphael,  drew  out  his  interest  and  founded  a 
rival  establishment  in  the  Faubourg  Saint  Germain 
on  the  Rue  de  La  Chaise.  The  repertoire  of  his 
establishment  included,  as  shown  in  the  inventory 
made  on  the  death  of  his  wife  in  1661,  Ambroise 
Dubois's  Story  of  Clorinda,  and  Theagenes  and 
Charicles,  both  from  the  decorations  of  Fontaine- 
bleau;  the  Story  of  Achilles  in  eight  scenes  by  Pere 
Luc  Recollet,  the  Story  of  Dido  and  ^Eneas  in  eight 
scenes,  the  Stories  of  Psyche,  Roland,  Diana, 
Constantine  (the  set  by  Rubens  mentioned  above), 
Daphne;    the  Four  Seasons,  the  Horse  Pegasus. 

Among  sets  woven  before  the  split  between  Planche 
and  the  Comans,  was  the  Story  of  Diana  in  eight 
scenes.  There  are  identical  sets  in  both  Paris  and 
Vienna.  The  set  in  the  Royal  Spanish  Collection 
has  different  borders.     Another  popular  set  was  the 


160  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Story  of  Gombaut  and  Mace.  One  piece  bearing 
the  Paris  mark — a  P  with  fleur-de-lis — and  the 
monogram  of  Francois  de  la  Planche  is  in  the  museum 
of  the  Gobelins.  In  a  contest  instituted  by  Henri 
IV  between  leading  painters  on  the  subjects  of 
Guarini's  Pastor  Fido,  Laurence  Guyot  won.  Of 
the  set  woven  from  the  designs,  M.  Guiffrey  identified 
one  piece  in  the  residence  of  the  late  Don  Francisco 
d'Assisi,  grandfather  of  the  King  of  Spain.  The 
Story  of  France,  described  in  the  1627  inventory 
mentioned  above,  pictured  the  Siege  of  Tunis  by 
Saint  Louis,  the  Baptism  of  Clovis,  Charlemagne 
at  Pampeluna,  the  Battle  of  Marignan,  etc.  Of 
this,  and  the  Story  of  King  Francois  in  eight  pieces, 
no  examples  remain. 

Another  tapestry  works  was  that  established  at 
Maincy  near  his  wonderful  estate  Vaux-le-Vicomte 
by  Louis  XIV's  Minister  of  Finance,  Foucquet. 
The  weavers  were  Flemish  under  a  French  overseer 
Louis  Blamard.  The  artistic  director  was  the 
painter  Charles  Lebrun,  who  had  general  charge  of 
the  decorations  of  Foucquet's  chateau.  Two  of 
the  most  beautiful  sets  ever  composed  were  by 
Lebrun  for  Vaux,  the  Story  of  Constantine,  and  the 
Hunts  of  Meleager  and  Atalanta,  the  weaving  of 
which  began  at  Maincy  but  was  finished  at  the 
Gobelins.  Other  pieces  composed  by  him  for  Vaux 
were  the  Muses,  the  portieres  of  the  Fames,  Mars, 
the  Triumphal  Car — often  repeated  at  the  Gobelins. 

The  Manufacture  Royale  des  Meubles  de  la 
Couronne  formally  established  at  the  Gobelins  by 


GOMBAUT  AND  MACE 

PLATE  no.  161.  Scene  from  the  Story  of  Gombaut  and  Mace\  an  Early  XVII  century  tapestry  signed  with  the 
Brussels  mark.  Peasant  scenes  like  those  pictured  in  the  Wood  Cutters  at  the  Muse'e  des  Arts  De'coratifs,  and  Sheep 
Shearing  at  the  Brussels  Museum,  were  popular  in  tapestry  from  the  earliest  period.  In  the  second  half  of  the  XV 
century  appears  the  story  of  Gombaut  and  Mace"  that  makes  pass  successively  under  our  eyes  the  adventures,  amuse- 
ments, joys,  toils,  trouble,  and  miseries,  of  the  peasant's  life.  In  his  study  on  the  7  pieces  picturing  this  story  in  the 
set  of  the  Saint  L6  Museum,  published  in  Paris  in  1881,  M.  Jules  Guiffrey  reproduces  8  Late  XVI  century  engravings 
with  descriptive  verses  in  French,  undoubtedly  the  same  or  similar  to  designs  then  being  reproduced  in  tapestry. 
Some  of  the  verses  and  some  of  the  pictures  contain  a  good  deal  of  the  "  esprit  gaulois." 


162  TAPESTRIES— THEIR   ORIGIN 

royal  decree  in  1667,  with  Charles  Lebrun  as  art 
director,  was  not  merely  a  tapestry  factory.  It  was 
a  general  furniture  factory  as  the  word  meubles 
suggests — a  factory  for  the  preparation  of  the 
various  kinds  of  interior  decorations  and  furnishings 
needed  for  the  royal  residences  of  Louis  XIV. 
To-day  the  activities  of  the  Gobelins  are  confined  to 
tapestries  and  savonnerie  rugs. 

The  tapestry  part  of  the  plant  was  not  created 
new  or  imported  from  Flanders.  It  was  a  combina- 
tion of  the  various  tapestry  works  described  above 
— those  of  Planche  and  the  Comans,  of  the  Trinite 
and  the  Louvre,  and  of  Maincy,  from  which,  after 
the  fall  and  disgrace  of  Foucquet,  came  Lebrun  to 
satisfy  Louis  XIV's  desire  to  emulate  the  example 
of  decorative  magnificence  set  by  his  financial 
minister. 

The  preliminaries  took  some  time.  In  1662 
Louis  XIV  bought  the  Gobelin  property.  In  the 
succeeding  five  years  he  added  to  it  and  erected 
buildings  to  accommodate  the  new  royal  enterprise. 
The  different  tapestry  plants  were  assembled  there 
by  degrees.  The  first  heads  of  the  high  warp  shops 
were  Jean  Jans,  the  father,  1662-1668;  Henri 
Laurent  (from  the  Louvre),  1 662-1 669;  Jean  Le- 
fevre,  1 662-1 700,  the  elder  but  son  of  the  Pierre 
Lefevre,  director  of  the  tapestry  works  in  Florence, 
who  in  1647  had  been  called  back  to  Paris  to  reor- 
ganise the  looms  there  for  Mazarin. 

When  Laurent  died  in  1669,  his  shop  was  dis- 
continued.    The  shop  of  Jans,  who  came  originally 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  163 

from  Audenarde,  was  continued  by  his  son  of  the 
same  name,  1668-1723;  by  Jean-Jacques  Jans,  1723- 
1731;  by  Michel  Audran,  1 732-1 771;  by  Jean 
Audran,  1 771-1794.  After  the  Revolution,  day 
work  having  been  substituted  for  piece  work,  the 
identity  of  the  contractors  is  of  less  importance.  The 
shop  of  Lefevre  was  continued  by  his  son  of  the  same 
name,  1699-1736;  by  Mathieu  Monmerque,  1736- 
1749;    by  Pierre-Francois  Cozette,   1 749-1 794. 

The  first  low  warp  shop  organised  under  the 
management  of  Jean  Delacroix  1662-17 12,  was  in 
1 7 12  merged  with  the  one  organised  by  Jean- 
Baptiste  Mozin  1667-1693,  and  continued  by  Dom- 
inique Delacroix  1693-1737.  Another  shop  united 
to  that  of  Delacroix  in  1724,  was  that  of  Souet  and 
Delafraye,  1 693-1 699,  continued  by  Jean  Souet, 
1699-1724.  The  shop  organised  by  Jean  Delafraye, 
1 699-1 730,  continued  by  Mathieu  Monmerque, 
1 730-1 735,  and  by  Pierre,  Francois  Cozette,  1735- 
1749,  in  1737  absorbed  that  of  Delacroix.  In  1749, 
Cozette  transferred  his  efforts  from  low  warp  to  high 
warp  looms  and,  as  shown  above,  assumed  charge 
of  the  old  Lefevre  high  warp  shop.  Jacques  Neilson, 
1 749-1 788,  took  his  place  in  the  low  warp  shop  and 
two  years  later,  in  1751,  absorbed  the  shop  founded 
by  Etienne  Leblond,  1701-1727,  and  continued 
by  Etienne-Claude  Leblond,  1 727-1 751.  Neilson  was 
succeeded  by  Michel-Henry  Cozette,.  1 788-1 794. 
These  are  the  men  directly  responsible  for  the  execu- 
tion of  the  work  at  the  Gobelins,  and  their  names  are 
signed  (See  chapter  IX)  to  many  of  the  tapestries. 


164  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

The  organisation  of  the  Gobelins,  from  1662  to 
1667,  owed  everything  to  the  energetic  care  and 
forethought  of  Louis  XIV's  great  minister  Colbert. 
He  was  the  moving  spirit  behind  it  all,  and  he  saw 
that  the  sinews  of  art  in  the  form  of  money  were 
not  lacking.  The  workmen  received  quarters  on 
the  premises,  together  with  a  small  garden,  that  is 
still  one  of  the  attractions  tending  to  reconcile  them 
to  small  wages.  The  different  shop  managers 
worked  each  on  his  own  account.  The  Crown 
supplied  them  with  wools,  silks,  gold  and  silver 
tinsel,  the  cost  of  which  is  retained  out  of  the  fin- 
ished tapestries  paid  for  at  a  rate  fixed  in  advance. 
The  shop  managers  were  not,  however,  restricted 
to  work  for  the  Crown.  They  were  allowed  to 
accept  commissions  from  dealers  and  from  individ- 
uals. They  paid  their  men  by  the  piece  at  a  rate 
varying  for  the  different  portions  of  a  tapestry, 
according  to  the  difficulty  of  weaving  and  the  skill 
required. 

For  the  supplying  of  new  tapestry  designs,  Charles 
Lebrun  had  many  capable  assistants,  at  the  head 
Adam  Francois  Vandermeulen  who  entered  the 
service  of  Louis  XIV  in  1664  and  remained  there 
until  his  death  in  1691.  A  memorandum,  dated 
1 69 1,  gives  us  the  details  of  the  collaboration  on  the 
Royal  Residences:  "M.  Yvart  the  father  painted 
most  of  the  large  figures,  the  rugs  and  the  draperies; 
M.  Baptiste  (Monnoyer)  the  flowers  and  fruits;  the 
late  M.  Boulle  the  animals  and  the  birds;  M. 
Anguier  the  architecture;  the  late  M.  Vandermeulen 


166  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

the  small  figures  and  part  of  the  landscapes;  MM. 
Genouels  and  Baudoin  the  rest  of  the  landscapes." 
But  no  matter  how  many  assistants  Lebrun  employed 
he  was  always  master  and  the  inspiration  and  style 
were  always  personally  his  own. 

The  studies  of  these  artists  are  preserved  in  the 
Museum  of  Versailles.  The  Royal  Residences  show 
the  12  palaces  that  the  King  liked  best,  used  to 
background  hunting  scenes,  promenades,  cavalcades, 
balls — scenes  appropriate  to  the  time  of  year — 
framed  on  each  side  by  columns  of  pilasters,  while 
in  the  foreground,  valets  in  the  royal  livery  spread 
rich  stuffs  over  the  balustrades.  During  the  King's 
life  it  was  rewoven  at  the  Gobelins  more  often  than 
any  other  set.  It  appears  in  the  Louis  XIV  Inventory 
ten  times,  in  88  pieces — seven  complete  sets  with 
some  to  spare.  The  palaces  pictured  are  the 
Louvre,  the  Palais-Royal,  Madrid,  Versailles,  Saint- 
Germain,  Fontainebleau,  Vincennes,  Marimont, 
Chambord,  the  Tuileries,  Blois,  Monceaux. 

The  Elements  and  the  Seasons,  each  in  four 
pieces,  take  one  back  to  the  days  of  Comans, 
Planche,  and  Mortlake,  or  even  earlier.  The  woven 
frames  are  sumptuous  and  there  are  Latin  captions 
with  allegorical  emblems  in  the  Renaissance  fashion. 
The  Elements  in  four  pieces  with  four  narrow  panels 
(entrefenetres)  to  match  was  especially  successful, 
being  reproduced  six  times  at  the  Gobelins  in  the 
XVII  century  and  often  at  Brussels  Aubusson,  and 
Felletin  (See  plate  no.  165). 

The  Child  Gardeners,  in  six  pieces,  is  in  an  entirely 


168  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

different  spirit,  light  and  gay  and  full  of  the  fascina- 
tions of  out-of-doors"  ancf  of  children.  This  was  a 
very  popular  set  and  in  twenty  years  it  was  woven 
complete  five  times  on  low  warp  looms.  Of  course, 
the  greatest  series  of  all,  and  the  one  that  first 
suggests  itself  to  all  who  know  about  Gobelin  tapes- 
tries, is  the  Story  of  the  King.  Here  we  find  the 
solemn  and  official  glorification  of  all  of  the  important 
events  of  the  life  of  Louis  XIV  during  the  first  twelve 
years  of  his  reign.  Arranged  in  chronological  order 
they  are: 

i   Coronation  of  Louis  XIV  in  the  Cathedral  of  Reims, 
June  7,  1654. 

2  Interview  of  Louis  XIV  and  Philip  IV  of  Spain  at  the 

Isle  des  Faisans,  June  7,  1660. 

3  Marriage  of  Louis  XIV  with  Marie-Therese  of  Austria, 

eldest  daughter  of  Philip  IV,  June  9,  1660. 

4  Satisfaction  given  to  the  King  by  the  Spanish  Ambassa- 

dor, March  24,  1662. 

5  Entry  of  the  King  into  Dunkerque  after  having  recovered 

it  from  the  English,  Dec.  2,  1662. 

6  Reduction  of  the  city  of  Marsal  in  Lorraine,  Sept.   1 . 

1663. 

7  Renewal  of  the  Alliance  between  France  and  the  Swiss, 

at  the  Cathedral  of  Notre  Dame  in  Paris,  Nov.  18, 
1663. 

8  Audience  given  by  the  King  at  Fontainebleau  to  the 

Pope's  Legate  Cardinal  Chigi,  July  29,  1664. 

9  Siege  of  Tournai  where  Louis  XIV  exposed  himself  to 

the  enemy's  fire,  June  21,  1667. 

10  Siege  of  Douai  in  July,  1667.     The  King  in  danger. 

11  Capture  of  Lille  in  August,  1667. 

12  Defeat  of  the  Spanish  under  Count  Marsin  near  Bruges, 

August  31,  1667. 


IU11JHIUIUM 


170  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

13  Visit  of  Louis  XIV  to  the  Gobelins  with  Colbert,  Oct. 

15,  1667. 

14  Capture  of  Dole,  Feb.  16,  1668,  the    King  commanding 

in  person. 

By  the  end  of  the  year  1662,  Lebrun  was  at  work 
on  the  designs  for  the  Story  of  the  King.  Vander- 
meulen,  who  had  a  salary  of  6,000  livres  a  year  and 
apartments  at  the  Gobelins,  was  given  the  land- 
scapes and  views  of  cities  to  prepare  and  accom- 
panied the  King  on  his  campaigns.  The  high  warp 
cartoons  were  executed  by  Yvart  the  elder,  Mathieu 
the  elder,  De  Seve  the  younger,  and  Testelin.  The 
first  pieces  were  put  on  the  looms  in  1665  in  the 
shops  of  Jans,  Lefevre,  and  Laurent.  The  differ- 
ent pieces  bear  descriptive  captions  in  French  in  a 
cartouche  in  the  middle  of  the  lower  borders.  They 
also  show  the  date  when  the  weaving  of  the 
piece  began,  in  the  left  border,  and  when  it  was 
completed,  in  the  right  border.  For  instance,  in 
the  Coronation  of  Louis  XIV,  we  find  on  the  left 
LVDvs  XIIII  and  under  it  ANo.  1665;  on  the 
right  the  name  repeated  and  under  it  ANo.  1671. 
The  average  time  of  weaving  was  about  five  years 
each. 

This  first  set  was  the  only  complete  one  ever  made 
on  high  warp  looms  at  the  Gobelins.  It  comprised 
14  pieces  4^  aunes  (French  ell  equals  46^  inches) 
high,  with  a  combined  width  of  88^"  aunes — about 
17  feet  by  354.  It  cost  166,698  livres  to  weave  and 
is  rich  with  gold.  The  complete  set  is  still  preserved 
and  forms  a  part  of  the  French  National  Collection, 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  171 

one  piece  being  exhibited  at  the  Gobelins  and  three 
at  Fontainebleau. 

There  were  three  complete  sets  woven  on  the  low 
warp  looms  of  the  Gobelins,  all  with  gold,  one 
1665-1680,  one  1707-1715,  one  1729-1735,  besides 
miscellaneous  pieces.  The  low  warp  sets  were  only 
three-quarters  as  high  as  the  high  warp  sets,  and 
narrower  in  proportion. 

The  Story  of  Alexander  was  in  special  favour  at 
the  Court  on  account  of  the  ^direct  allusions 
found  in  it  to  the  principal  events  in  the  life  of 
Louis  XIV.  It  was  reproduced  eight  times  at  the 
Gobelins  during  his  reign  and  often  in  Brussels, 
Audenarde,  and  Aubusson.  Lebrun  painted  the 
five  pictures  entirely  with  his  own  hands,  one  of 
them,  the  Family  of  Darius  at  Alexander's  Feet,  at 
Fontainebleau  in  the  presence  of  the  King  himself. 
The  other  scenes  were  the  Passage  of  the  Granicus, 
the  Battle  of  Arbela,  the  Battle  with  Poms,  the 
Triumph  of  Alexander.  The  three  battle  scenes 
were  so  large  that  no  space  could  be  found  to  receive 
them,  and  each  was  accordingly  made  in  three 
separate  pieces,  making  the  total  set  consist  of  11 
pieces  instead  of  five. 

As  the  King  grew  older  and  France  less  successful 
in  war  and  commerce,  the  opportunities  for  glorifica- 
tion became  fewer.  The  nature  of  the  subjects 
chosen  for  tapestry  changed.  Instead  of  the  Story 
of  the  King,  we  have  the  Story  of  Moses  in  ten 
pieces,  8  after  Poussin,  2  after  Lebrun.  Even 
before   this,   ancient  models  had   been   reproduced, 


172  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

notably  Raphael's  famous  Acts  of  the  Apostles. 
But  now  there  was  a  distinct  movement  backwards, 
away  from  contemporary  history  to  Biblical  and 
Greek  and  Roman,  and  to  the  reproduction  of  XVI 
century  cartoons. 

Among  the  various  sets  were  the  Chambers  of 
the  Vatican  copied  after  Raphael's  paintings  there, 
the  Sujets  de  la  Fable  after  Giulio  Romano,  the 
Sujets  de  la  Fable  after  Raphael,  the  Fruits  of  War 
after  Giulio  Romano,  the  Story  of  Scipio  after 
Giulio  Romano,  the  Hunts  of  Maximilian  after 
Barend  Van  Orley,  the  Arabesque  Months,  the 
Months  of  Lucas,  the  Triumphs  of  the  Gods  after 
Noel  Coypel,  the  Gallery  of  Saint-Cloud  after  Pierre 
Mignard,  the  Indies. 

The  subjects  of  the  ten  pieces  of  the  Chambers 
of  the  Vatican  are:  of  three,  the  Battle  of  Constan- 
tine  against  Maxentius;  the  Vision  of  Constantine, 
the  School  of  Athens,  the  Pope's  Mass,  Attila 
Driven  from  Rome,  Parnassus,  Heliodorus  Driven 
from  the  Temple,  Burning  of  the  City  of  Rome. 

The  Sujets  de  la  Fable  (classic  stories)  in  eight 
pieces  after  Giulio  Romano  tell  the  Story  of  Psyche 
and  are  also  called  the  Amours  de  Psyche.  The 
Sujets  de  la  Fable  after  Raphael,  also  in  eight  pieces, 
are  the  Judgment  of  Paris,  the  Elopement  of  Helen, 
the  Marriage  of  Alexander  and  Roxane,  the  Marriage 
of  Cupid  and  Psyche,  Venus  and  Adonis,  Venus  in 
her  Car,  two  nymph-and-satyr  dances.  The  Fruits 
of  War  in  eight  pieces,  was  copied  from  a  Brussels 
XVI   century  set  in  the  Royal  Collection.     Later, 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  173 

in  the  time  of  Louis  XVI,  the  French  Crown  acquired 
three  of  Giulio  Romano's  original  cartoons  that  had 
been  preserved  in  the  Duke  of  Mantua's  palace  until 
1830,  when  it  was  raided  by  the  Imperial  troops. 
The  Story  of  Scipio  in  ten  pieces,  the  Hunts  cf  Maxi- 
milian in  twelve  pieces  (one  for  each  month  in  the 
year),  the  Arabesque  Months,  the  Months  of  Lucas 
were  also  copied  from  precious  old  Brussels  tapes- 
tries in  the  Royal  Collection. 

The  Old  Indies  as  they  are  called  to  distinguish 
them  from  the  New  Indies  designed  by  Desportes 
in  the  XVIII  century,  were  taken  from  eight  paint- 
ings that  had  been  presented  to  the  King  by  the 
Prince  of  Nassau  (See  plate  no.  333).  In  them 
are  pictured  in  rich  profusion  the  men,  animals, 
plants  and  fruits  of  the  Indies  "painted  on  the 
spot."  In  token  of  the  visits  of  the  Russian  Em- 
peror Peter  the  Great  to  the  Gobelins,  May  12 
and  June  15,  1717,  the  first  high  warp  set  of  the 
Indies  was  presented  to  him  with  others.  This 
set  was  used  in  St.  Petersburg  as  a  model  in  the 
tapestry  works  founded  by  Peter  the  Great  (See 
chapter  VII).  In  1900,  according  to  M.  Fenaille, 
only  a  fragment  of  the  original  piece  picturing 
Animals  Fighting,  remained  in  St.  Petersburg — in 
the  Imperial  Carriage  Museum. 

Pierre  Mignard,  painter  of  the  Gallery  of  Saint- 
Cloud,  succeedecT  to  Lebrun's  position  on  his  death 
in  1690,  and  had  undermined  his  influence  after 
the  death  of  Colbert,  with  the  support  of  Louvois, 
as  far  back  as  1685.     The  six  subjects  from  Saint- 


174  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Cloud,  reproduced  in  tapestry,  were  Spring,  Summer, 
Autumn,  Winter,  Parnassus,  Latona  (See  plate  no. 
357).     The  set  is  very  attractive. 

At  least  seven  of  the  eight  pieces  of  the  Triumphs 
of  the  Gods  were  copied  by  Noel  Coypel  from  old 
Brussels  tapestries  called,  on  the  book  of  Gobelins, 
"Rabesques  de  Raphael."  Certainly  several  of  the 
smaller  figures  are  the  same  as  those  in  the  decora- 
tions of  the  Loggie  of  the  Vatican  and  in  the  borders 
of  the  original  XVI  century  sets  of  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  tapestries. 

Among  the  most  successful  of  the  new  sets,  after 
the  period  of  stagnation  at  the  Gobelins  from  1694 
to  1697,  due  to  lack  of  money  in  the  Royal  Purse, 
were  the  Four  Seasons  and  the  Four  Elements  (the 
Portieres  of  the  Gods),  b_y_  Claude  Audran  the 
younger.  These  panels  are  in  the  Grotesque  style 
of  the  Arabesque  Months  and  the  Triumphs  of  the 
Gods,  but  made  thoroughly  French  and  fascinating 
to  a  degree.  Spring  is  typified  by  Venus,  Summer 
by  Ceres,  Autumn  by  Bacchus,  Winter  by  Saturn, 
Air  by  Juno,  Earth  by  Diana,  Water  by  Neptune, 
Fire  by  Jupiter.  There  is  a  perfect  set  of  the  Four 
Elements  in  at  least  one  New  York  residence.  These 
Portieres  of  the  Gods  were  woven  over  and  over 
again  in  the  XVIII  century,  and  finally  in  1771 , 
Jacques  Neilson,  who  had  been  so  successful  with  the 
crimson  damasse  ground  for  the  Don  Quixote  series, 
applied  it  also  to  this  series,  and  with  equal  success. 

Among  tapestries  copied  and  remodelled  by  differ- 
ent   painters  from    old  XVI  century   designs   were 


UIBUtlHJII 


PLATE  no.  175.  Diana,  a  Grotesque  panel  after  Claude  Audran,  designed  and  woven  at  the  beginning  of  the  XVIII 
century.  It  is  one  of  the  four  portieres  symbolizing  the  Elements:  Diana  Earth,  Neptune  Water,  Juno  Air,  Jupiter 
Fire.  The  example  illustrated  is  in  the  French  National  Collection,  but  there  is  at  least  one  perfect  set  in  a  New  York 
private  collection. 


176  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

those  picturing  Ovid's  Metamorphoses — Renaud  and 
Armide,  Diana  Back  from  the  Hunt,  Apollo  and  the 
Python,  Argus  and  Mercury,  Psyche  and  Cupid, 
Apollo  and  Hyacinth,  Flora  and  Zephyrus,  Narcissus 
and  the  nymph  Echo,  Venus  and  Adonis,  Vertumnus 
and  Pomona,  Bacchus  and  Ariadne,  Cephale  and 
Procris. 

Other  sets  begun  in  the  declining  years  of  Louis 
XIV  were  the  Twelve  Grotesque  Months  after 
Claude  Audran  (in  narrow  vertical  bands  assembled 
into  three  pieces,  the  first  three  months,  the  next 
six,  the  last  three) ;  the  Old  Testament  in  eight  pieces 
after  Antoine  and  Charles  Coypel;  the  New  Testa- 
ment in  eight  pieces  after  Jean  Jouvenet  and  Jean 
Restout;  a  new  set  of  the  Metamorphoses  of  Ovid 
in  15  pieces  after  different  painters. 

Of  all  XVIII  century  Gobelin  tapestries,  the  Don 
Quixote  series  was  most  admired  and  most  repro- 
duced. All  the  28  scenes  were  the  work  of  Charles 
Coypel,  who  was  barely  20  when  he  completed  the 
first  in  17 14 — which  for  a  long  time  caused  part  of 
the  credit  to  be  given  to  his  father  Antoine.  Charles 
Coypel  added  a  scene  a  year  until  1734,  an<^  finally 
in  1 75 1,  a  few  years  before  his  death,  the  last,  Don 
Quixote  with  the  Kitchen  Maids.  Coypel  first 
appears  to  have  been  paid  for  one  of  his  Don  Quixote 
paintings  on  Oct.  1,  1716,  when  he  received  400 
livres.  On  Jan.  1,  171 7,  he  received  400  livres  for  a 
second;    on  March  25,  1717,  2,800  livres  for  7,  etc. 

The  frames  of  these  Don  Quixote  tapestries  were 
quite  as  important  as  the  pictures,  and   take  up  a 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  177 

great  deal  more  room.  Indeed  the  pictures  are  but 
miniatures  set  in  a  decorative  mat  that  is  framed 
inside  and  outside  with  woven  mouldings  in  imita- 
tion of  wood.  Of  these  frames,  there  were  no  less 
than  seven  different  ones  designed  and  used  during 
the  century. 

The  first  five  had  mosaic  ornamental  grounds,  the 
others  a  damasse  ground  first  employed  by  Neilson 
in  1760  on  his  low  warp  looms,  in  crimson  tones 
derived  from  cochineal,  much  more  durable  than 
the  yellows  previously  employed.  One  of  the  Don 
Quixote  set,  woven  by  Neilson,  signed  with  his  name 
and  the  date  1783  in  the  lower  right-hand  corner, 
is  now  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum,  lent  by  Mr. 
Morgan,  having  been  presented  by  Napoleon  in 
1 8 10  to  the  Prince  of  Hesse-Darmstadt  and  ac- 
quired by  Mr.  Morgan  from  the  estate  of  Don 
Francisco  d'Assisi  grandfather  of  the  present  King 
of  Spain.  Four  others  of  the  Don  Quixote  tapes- 
tries with  the  new  damasse  ground,  but  high  warp 
instead  of  low  warp,  also  acquired  by  Mr.  Morgan 
from  the  estate  of  Don  Francisco  and  also  lent  to 
the  Metropolitan  Museum,  are  signed,  three  of 
them  Cozette  1773,  and  one  Audran,  inside  the 
woven  frame.  Audran  evidently  having  forgot  the 
date  made  amends  by  also  weaving  his  name  with 
the  date  1773  in  red  in  the  bottom  selvage.  These 
four  high  warp  pieces  were  presented  in  i774>  to 
Cardinal  Charles-Antoine  de  la  Roche-Aymon,  Arch- 
bishop of  Reims,  Grand  Almoner  of  France,  who  had 
baptised  Louis  XVI,  given  him  his  first  communion, 


178  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

and  married  him,  and  who  later  crowned  him  at 
Reims,  June  n,  1775.  The  subjects  of  these  four 
are  Don  Quixote  Served  by  the  Ladies,  the  Peasant 
Girls,  the  Departure  of  Sancho,  the  Princess  at  the 
Hunt;  of  the  low  warp  one  Don  Quixote  Guided  by 
Folly. 

All  the  five  pieces  were  woven  3  aunes  2  seiziemes 
high  which  is  about  4  inches  more  than  the  present 
height  of  3.60  metres  (11  feet  10  inches),  thus  illus- 
trating the  fact  that  tapestries  shrink  when  taken  off 
the  loom.  The  combined  width  of  the  five  was 
originally  18  aunes  2^2  seiziemes  (about  65  feet). 
All  have  two  or  three  lines  of  caption  at  the  bottom 
in  golden  brown,  and  woven  gold  frames  around  the 
picture,  inside  the  damasse  ground  as  well  as  around 
the  whole.  It  is  the  triumph  of  ornament  at  the 
expense  of  picture.  From  1717  to  1794,  about  250 
Don  Quixote  tapestries  were  woven  at  the  Gobelins, 
many  of  the  subjects  being  repeated  many  times. 

Upon  the  death  of  Louis  XIV  (king  1643-17 15), 
he  had  been  succeeded  by  his  five-year-old  great- 
grandson,  Louis  XV  (17 15-1774),  during  whose 
minority  (17 15-1723),  Philip  Duke  of  Orleans  was 
Regent.  Compared  with  the  age  of  Louis  XIV, 
the  period  of  the  Regence  and  Louis  XV  was  frivo- 
lous. In  his  youth  Louis  XIV  adored  War  and 
Glory,  in  his  old  age  Religion  and  the  Church.  The 
whole  reign  of  Louis  XV  was  above  all  human — 
petty  if  you  will — but  a  reign  that  spread  abroad 
among  the  many  blessings  previously  confined  to 
the  few.     The  contrast  is  quickly  visible  not  only 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  179 

in  the  Don  Quixote  tapestries  as  compared  with 
the  Story  of  the  King  and  the  Royal  Residences, 
but  even  in  imitations  of  the  ancient  style  like  the 
Turkish  Embassy  in  two  pieces  after  Charles 
Parrocel,  and  the  Hunts  of  Louis  XV  in  nine  pieces 
after  J.  B.  Oudry.  The  first  new  set  during  the 
Regency  had  been  the  Story  of  Daphnis  and  Chloe 
in  four  pieces  designed  by  the  Regent  himself  in 
collaboration,  some  say,  with  Charles  Coypel.  An- 
other Regency  set  by  Antoine  and  Charles  Coypel, 
was  the  Iliad  in  five  pieces. 

Charles  Coypel's  Opera  Fragments  in  four  pieces 
was  first  put  on  the  looms  in  1733.  One  piece  was 
taken  from  Quinault's  opera  Rdand,  the  other 
three  from  his  Armide.  The  designs  in  character 
suggest  the  coming  of  those  that  Boucher  was  to 
make  famous  at  Beauvais.  Other  Louis  XV  sets 
were  the  Story  of  Esther  in  seven  pieces  after  Jean- 
Francois  de  Troy,  first  put  on  the  looms  in  1737,  and 
often  repeated  both  with  the  original  border  and 
with  a  new  border  (after  1772);  the  New  Indies,  in 
eight  pieces,  after  Alexandre-Francois  Desportes, 
called  new  to  distinguish  them  from  the  Louis  XIV 
set  named  above,  upon  which  they  were  based; 
Daphnis  and  Chloe  in  seven  pieces  after  Etienne 
Jeaurat;  the  Arts  in  four  pieces  after  Jean  Restout; 
the  Story  of  Mark  Antony  in  three  pieces  after 
Charles  Natoire;  the  Story  of  Jason  in  seven  pieces 
after  Jean-Francois  de  Troy;  the  Story  of  Theseus 
after  Carle  Vanloo  (one  piece);  Stage  Scenes  in 
five    pieces,    from    Corneille's    Rodogune,    Racine's 


180  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Bajazet,Quinault'sAlceste,  Moliere's  Psiche,  Racine's 
Athalie,  all  after  Charles  Coypel;  the  Loves  of  the 
Gods,  twenty-two  pieces  of  which  Venus  and  Vulcan, 
Cherubs,  the  Genius  of  the  Arts,  were  by  Boucher; 
Turkish  Costumes  in  three  pieces  after  Amedee 
Vanloo. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  points  in  the  XVIII 
century  history  of  the  Gobelins  is  that  about  the 
middle  of  the  century  the  three  contractors  there 
became  intensely — and  with  justice — jealous  of  the 
Royal  Works  at  Beauvais.  In  a  memorial  to  the 
administration  dated  March  10,  1754,  and  signed 
Audran,  Cozette  et  Neilson,  they  say  that  "to  prevent 
the  decadence  of  the  Gobelin  Factory,  it  would  be 
necessary  to  attach  to  it  Sr.  Boucher,"  giving  him 
the  assistance  of  other  painters  of  the  Academie 
such  as  "Sieurs  Dumont,  Le  Romain,  Jeaurat, 
Halle,  Challe,  Vien."  For  lack  of  suitable  designs 
the  Gobelins  cannot  get  private  work,  "and  for 
nearly  twenty  years  the  Beauvais  Factory  has  been 
kept  up  by  the  attractive  paintings  made  for  it 
by  Sr.  Boucher,"  while  the  "Srs.  Charon,  who  are 
now  head  of  the  Factory,  are  arranging  with  him 
to  compose  a  set  of  hangings  to  present  to  the  King, 
their  intention  being  to  spare  nothing  to  render  the 
establishment  more  prosperous  than  ever." 

The  response  from  the  authorities  was  finally 
favourable  when  on  June  6,  1.755,  the  Marquis  de 
Marigny  wrote  to  Francois  Boucher  appointing 
him  to  succeed  J.  B.  Oudry  just  deceased,  as  inspector 
at  the  Gobelins.     On  July  3,  he  wrote  to  the  three 


VERTUMNUS 

PLATE  no.  181.  Vertumnus  and  Pomona,  designed  for  the  Gobelins  by  Francis  Boucher  after  he 
became  chief  inspector  there.  The  picture  is  interesting  to  compare  with  the  far  superior  Vertumnus  and 
Pomona  designed  by  Boucher  for  Beauvais,  and  illustrated  in  color  as  the  frontispiece  of  this  book.  The 
ornamental  frame  with  damasse"  mat  was  designed  by  Tessier. 


182  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Gobelin  contractors  assuring  them  that  Boucher 
would  co-operate  with  them  in  every  way  and  that 
"M.  Boucher  not  only  has  refused  the  inspection 
of  the  Beauvais  Factory  with  the  intention  of  giving 
his  attention  to  the  Gobelins,  but  he  has  even  re- 
fused an  interest  that  the  Beauvais  directors  wished 
to  give  him  in  their  enterprise." 

Already  Boucher  had  executed  for  the  Gobelins 
the  Rising  of  the  Sun  and  the  Setting  of  the  Sun, 
and  a  series  of  twenty  paintings  for  Madame  de 
Pompadour's  chair  coverings.  The  subjects  of  the 
most  important  ones  executed  by  him  after  he 
became  chief  inspector  are,  in  addition  to  the  three 
in  the  Loves  of  the  Gods  series  named  above:  Ver- 
tumnus  and  Pomona,  Aurora  and  Cephalus,  Neptune 
and  Amymone,  Venus  at  the  Forge  of  Vulcan, 
Venus  Leaving  the  Water,  Fishing,  the  Fortune 
Teller,  Jupiter  and  Calisto,  Psyche  Looking  at 
Cupid  Asleep,  and  four  that  tell  the  story  of  Amintas 
and  Sylvia.  Like  the  Don  Quixote  series  of 
Charles  Coypel,  these  were  reproduced  small  with 
wide  damasse  mats  between  inner  and  outer  woven 
mouldings.    The  frames  were  by  Jacques  and  Tessier. 

During  the  XVIII  century  the  Gobelin  contractors 
executed  many  portraits  in  tapestry,  for  individuals, 
that  did  not  appear  on  the  official  books.  The 
first  portrait  that  appears  on  the  accounts  of  Au- 
dran's  shop  is  the  life-size,  full  length  one  of  Louis 
XV  standing,  after  Louis  Michel  Vanloo.  For 
weaving  that  portrait  Audran  wanted  to  be  paid 
10,000  livres,  but  was  obliged  to  accept  7,252  livres. 


ilU««:h!H!ii! 


184  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

The  portrait  contained  192  batons  (48  batons  is  a 
square  French  ell,  16  a  Flemish  ell),  and  took  45 
weeks  to  make — 11  weeks  for  the  sleeves  and  the 
head  containing  9  batons,  34  weeks  for  the  remaining 
183  batons,  which  is  a  little  less  than  2^  batons  per 
week  for  each  of  the  two  weavers.  The  portrait 
was  presented  in  1768  by  Louis  XV  to  the  King  of 
Denmark,  together  with  an  Esther  set  and  a  set  of 
the  New  Indies. 

Portraits  executed  in  tapestry  by  Cozette  were 
a  bust  of  Louis  XV  after  Vanloo;  of  the  Queen 
Marie  Leczinska,  after  Nattier;  of  the  Dauphin 
(later  Louis  XVI),  after  Vanloo;  of  Marie  Antoi- 
nette after  Drouais;  of  Joseph  II  Emperor  of  Austria, 
and  his  Empress  Marie  Therese;  of  Catharine  the 
Great,  Empress  of  Russia.  The  last  is  now  in  the 
palace  of  Tsarkoe-Selo  and  bears  Cozette's  signature. 
Of  all  these  portraits,  and  others,  there  are  numerous 
duplicates  and  variants,  for  portraits  of  individuals 
in  tapestry  seemed  to  appeal  to  late  XVIII  century 
and  XIX  century  taste.  As  works  of  art  they  do 
not  rank  high. 

Beginning  about  1750,  as  a  result  of  the  influence 
of  Madame  de  Pompadour,  many  furniture  tapestries 
— seats  and  backs  for  chairs  and  sofas,  and  panels 
for  screens — were  executed  at  the  Gobelins  after 
models  of  Tessier,  Jacques,  and  Boucher. 

The  only  new  sets  originated  at  the  Gobelins 
during  the  reign  of  Louis  XVI — the  History  of 
Henri  IV  in  six  pieces,  after  Francois  Andre  Vincent; 
the   Seasons   in   four   pieces,   after  Antoine   Callet; 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  185 

the  History  of  France  in  nine  pieces,  after  different 
painters,  were  unimportant  from  the  tapestry  point 
of  view. 

To  follow  the  destinies  of  the  Gobelins  during 
the  XIX  century  and  since — would,  as  is  perti- 
nently said  by  the  learned  Curator  of  Art  Objects 
of  the  Middle  Ages  and  the  Renaissance  at  the 
Louvre,  be  both  "sad  and  useless."  But  while 
great  tapestries  are  no  longer  originated  at  the 
Gobelins,  it  must  be  admitted  that  upon  the  existence 
of  the  Gobelins  in  the  XIX  century,  the  survival  of 
the  art  probably  depended,  and  that  to  the  exist- 
ence of  the  Gobelins  the  Renaissance  of  tapestries  is 
largely  due.  Personally,  I  got  more  at  the  Gobelins 
than  anywhere  else,  and  am  profoundly  grateful  to 
every  member  of  the  personnel,  from  M.  Guiffrey 
down,  who  in  1906  received  me  so  cordially  and 
made  me  free  of  the  work  rooms  and  the  library. 
I  believe  it  is  possible  at  the  Gobelins  to  revive  the 
art  in  its  pristine  vigour,  if  they  will  deliberately 
forsake  XVII  and  XVIII  century  precedents,  and 
return  to  XVI  century  texture  and  method. 

THE    BEAUVAIS   TAPESTRY   WORKS 

While  the  Furniture  Factory  of  the  Crown  at  the 
Gobelins  was  a  State  institution  organised  by 
Colbert  to  produce  tapestries  and  other  art  objects 
for  the  King,  the  business  at  Beauvais  was  a  private 
one  established  by  Louis  Hinart,  a  native  of  Beauvais 
who  was   an   experienced   maker  and    merchant  of 


180  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

tapestries,  having  a  shop  in  Paris  where  he  disposed 
of  the  goods  made  at  his  factory  in  Flanders.  Col- 
bert gave  him  every  encouragement  to  transfer  his 
looms  to  France,  and  on  August  5,  1664,  the  King 
signed  an  edict  subsidising  and  conferring  special 
privileges  on  "the  royal  manufactures  of  high  and 
low  warp  tapestries  established  at  Beauvais  and 
other  places  in  Picardy."  Of  the  amount  necessary 
for  the  acquisition  of  real  estate  and  buildings,  the 
King  agreed  to  advance  two-thirds,  up  to  30,000 
livres.  But  the  money  advanced  by  the  King  was 
secured  by  mortgage  on  the  property.  The  King 
also  lent  Hinart  another  30,000  livres  for  the  pur- 
chase of  wool,  silk,  dyes,  etc.,  which  the  latter  and 
his  associates  undertook  to  repay  within  six  years. 
They  also  bound  themselves  to  employ  the  first 
year  not  less  than  100  workmen,  and  to  increase  the 
number  annually  so  that  it  should  be  600  at  the  end 
of  six  years.  Upon  the  accomplishment  of  which 
the  King  waived  the  repayment  of  the  first  30,000 
livres  advanced  by  him.  The  royal  treasury  was 
also  to  pay  20  livres  for  every  foreign  workman 
attracted  to  France.  Hinart  was  to  have  always 
in  training  at  least  50  apprentices,  towards  whose 
maintenance  the  King  allowed  30  livres  a  year  each. 
For  every  set  of  tapestries  over  20  aunes  long  (78 
feet)  exported  to  foreign  countries  Hinart  was  to 
receive  a  bonus  of  20  livres. 

The  King  was  better  than  his  promise.  Hinart 
received  not  only  the  first  30,000  livres  in  1664,  but 
10,000  livres  more  in  1665  to  continue  the  buildings, 


numiiuhuh; 


VULCAN 

PLATE  no.  187.  Beauvais  XVIII  century  tapestry  Screen  Panel  bearing  the  imperial  double-headed  eagle  that  clasps 
in  its  talons  the  imperial  sceptre  and  globe  with  cross.  Size  3  feet  2  by  2  feet  6  and  subject  Vulcan  at  the  Forge,  after 
Boucher. 


188  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

and  a  further  20,000  livres  in  1667.  He  also  re- 
ceived in  1664  the  30,000  livres  for  the  purchase  of 
materials,  together  with  2,077  livres  in  1666,  5,400 
livres  in  1667,  16,200  livres  in  1669,  4,957  livres  in 
1670,  5,285  livres  in  1672,  5,066  livres  in  1673,  in 
accordance  with  the  agreements  about  apprentices 
and  foreign  workmen.  The  King  also,  in  1668, 
released  Hinart  from  the  obligation  to  repay  12,000 
livres  of  the  money  advanced,  and  what  was  of 
even  greater  importance  bought  tapestries  of  him 
regularly  and  largely. 

From  1667  to  167 1  Hinart  received  16,519  livres 
18  sous  4  deniers,  for  6  sets  of  tapestry  in  39  pieces 
— four  verdures,  one  set  of  animal  verdures,  one  of 
small  personages  and  animals.  In  1669  he  received 
41,789  livres  for  thirteen  sets  in  78  pieces  described 
in  the  Louis  XIV  Inventory.  Among  them  Children 
Playing,  a  set  of  8  pieces  25^  aunes  long  enriched 
with  gold,  and  numerous  verdures,  some  of  which 
are  described  as  after  Fouquieres  the  well-known 
landscape  painter.  In  1670,  2,700  livres  for  a 
Village  Marriage  in  six  pieces.  In  1675,  12,552 
livres  for  8  sets  in  49  pieces,  one  set  of  six  at  40 
livres  an  aune,  the  rest  at  30  livres  an  aune.  The 
prevailing  prices  at  the  Gobelins  were  200,  300  and 
even  400  livres  an  aune.  This  comparison  gives 
an  idea  of  the  relative  positions  of  the  two  institu- 
tions, while  Hinart  continued  in  management.  The 
royal  subventions  amounting  in  all  to  250,000 
livres  and  the  royal  purchases  of  254  tapestries  for 
94,666  livres,  were  not  enough  to  make  the  enter- 


HISTORY  AND  RENAISSANCE  189 

prise  prosper  at  Beauvais.     In  1684  Hinart  was  at 
the  end  of  his  resources  and  obliged  to  retire. 

Cronstrom,  the  Paris  agent  of  the  Swedish  Crown, 
in  his  letters  home  (page  83  of  volume  IV  of  Boettiger 
Swedish),  gives  as  the  reason  for  Hinart's  creditors 
throwing  him  into  bankruptcy:  that  Madame  de 
Montespan  had  entrusted  Philip  Behagle's  Paris 
factory  with  the  execution  of  the  beautiful  tapestries 
she  was  having  made  after  the  designs  of  Berain 
for  her  son  the  Count  of  Toulouse,  and  that  Hinart's 
best  workmen  had  left  him  to  go  with  Behagle. 

When  Hinart  retired  Behagle,  who  was  a  native 
of  Tournai,  was  chosen  to  succeed  him.  He  did 
not  content  himself  with  weaving  verdures,  but 
boldly  launched  forth  into  the  production  of  large 
figure  tapestries.  That  he  was  encouraged  by  the 
King  is  clear  from  the  inscription  engraved  on  the 
garden  wall  of  Beauvais  that  says:  "King  Louis 
XIV  rested  under  this  shade  in  1686.  Sieur  Behagle 
was  then  director  of  the  Factory."  But  the  en- 
couragement did  not  extend  to  such  constant  sub- 
ventions and  large  purchases  of  tapestries,  as  under 
Hinart.  The  only  advance  Behagle  received  was 
one  of  12,000  livres  when  he  took  charge  in  1684,  and 
from  1684  to  1700  he  sold  to  the  Crown  only  12 
sets  of  tapestries  in  70  pieces  besides  a  high  warp 
set  for  5,000  livres.  Among  important  sets  pro- 
duced for  individuals  was  that  of  the  Conquests  of 
Louis  the  Great.  Of  the  set  that  was  enriched  with 
gold  only  two  pieces  are  known  to  survive,  now  in 
the  possession  of  Signor  Candido  Cassini  of  Florence. 


190  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Another  splendid  set  woven  by  Behagle  was  Ra- 
phael's Acts  of  the  Apostles  in  eight  pieces,  copied 
from  the  set  formerly  exhibited  at  the  Cathedral  of 
Meaux.  This  set  signed  by  Behagle  (See  plate  no. 
91)  is  now  in  the  Beauvais  Cathedral,  and  there 
is  a  duplicate  of  it  in  the  French  National  Collec- 
tion. Other  sets  were  the  Adventures  of  Tele- 
machus  in  six  pieces  (after  cartoons  by  Arnault, 
acquired  in  Brussels),  of  which  there  is  an  example 
in  excellent  condition  in  the  Royal  Spanish  Collec- 
tion and  several  in  Paris  private  collections:  the 
Story  of  Achilles,  the  Marine  Divinities  in  four 
pieces  bearing  the  arms  of  the  Count  of  Toulouse 
High  Admiral  of  France;  the  Chinese  Grotesques 
after  Berain,  of  which  many  copies  were  woven, 
and  of  which  the  Musee  des  Arts  Decoratifs  has  a 
remarkable  example  with  a  delightful  border  (illus- 
trated on  page  12  of  Badin  Beauvais). 

Especially  interesting  from  the  historic,  as  well 
as  from  the  tapestry  point  of  view,  is  the  set  of  4 
pieces  in  the  Royal  Swedish  Collection  woven  for 
the  King  of  Sweden,  under  the  direction  of  Cron- 
strom  mentioned  above,  after  the  battle  painting 
of  Ph.  Lemke.  The  cartoons  were  painted  at 
Beauvais  by  Jean  Baptiste  Martin,  and  the  border 
cartoons  by  Vernansal  after  designs  by  Berain. 
The  subject  of  the  series  was  the  Battles  of  the 
Swedish  King  Charles  XI:  the  Siege  of  Malmo, 
the  Battle  of  Landskrona,  the  Second  Day  of  the 
Battle  of  Lund,  the  Third  Day  of  the  Battle  of 
Lund.     The  average  size  of  the  pieces  is  13  by  16^ 


HUUWHUHJMtUIIMIIilH 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  191 

feet,  and  all  are  illustrated  in  volume  II  of  Boettiger 
Swedish,  one  of  them  in  Badin  Beauvais.  The  first 
is  unsigned,  the  second  and  fourth  are  signed 
BEHAGLE,  the  third  D.  LACROIX.  The  Dela- 
croix is  undoubtedly  the  Gobelin  low  warp  contractor 
who,  like  many  of  the  Gobelins  weavers  during  the 
years  that  the  Gobelin  plant  was  shut  down,  sought 
work  at  Beauvais.  All  are  enriched  with  gold  and 
show  the  arms  of  the  Swedish  Crown  in  the  top 
border  with  a  Latin  inscription  in  the  bottom  border, 
and  Charles  XI's  monogram  in  the  side  borders. 
The  contract  price  for  weaving  was  11,000  livres 
(135  livres  an  aune),  a  sum  increased  by  extras 
later.  Charles  XI  never  saw  the  tapestries  as 
the  first  was  not  finished  until  1699,  and  he  died 
in  1697.  Originally  it  had  probably  been  the  inten- 
tion to  reproduce  in  tapestry  the  whole  series  of 
ten  paintings  that  pictured  the  actions  of  the  war 
waged  by  Charles  XI  against  Denmark. 

Among  others  who  bought  from  Behagle  were  the 
Duke  of  Bourbon,  the  Duke  of  Maine,  the  Duke 
of  Bavaria,  the  Duke  of  Duras,  the  Duke  of  Saxony, 
the  Archbishop  of  Reims.  The  prices  varied  from 
45  to  100  livres  an  aune,  and  in  an  interesting  mem- 
orandum Behagle  estimates  his  profit  on  each  at 
from  one-quarter  to  one- third. 

When  Behagle  died  in  1706,  he  left  the  business 
in  a  flourishing  condition.  But  his  widow  and  sons 
were  not  equal  to  the  task  of  keeping  it  up,  and  in 
171 1  the  brothers  Filleul  succeeded.  They,  too, 
although   they   enjoyed    the   favour  of  the  Regent, 


192  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

failed  to  put  the  business  on  a  sound  footing,  and 
in  1722  were  succeeded  by  Sieur  de  Merou.  Tapes- 
tries dating  from  the  period  of  the  brothers  Filleul 
are  the  Chinese  set  in  six  pieces  after  Vernansal,  Blin 
de  Fontenay  and  Dumons,  of  which  there  is  a 
splendid  set  in  the  Chateau  de  Compiegne;  and  the 
Metamorphoses  in  eight  pieces,  after  Houasse. 
The  subjects  of  the  former  are  the  Prince's  Audience, 
the  Prince  Travelling  (illustrated  in  Badin  Beaiwais), 
the  Astronomers,  the  Luncheon,  Gathering  Pine- 
apples, Picking  Tea;  of  the  latter,  Io  changed  into 
a  Cow,  the  Palace  of  Circe,  the  Fish  of  Glaucus,  the 
transformations  of  Ocyrhoe  into  a  Mare,  Cadmus 
into  a  Serpent,  Jupiter  into  a  Bull,  Acteon  into  a 
Stag,  Hippomenes  and  Atalanta  into  Lions. 

The  important  event  of  the  twelve-year  ad- 
ministration of  Merou  was  the  appointment  of  Jean 
Baptiste  Oudry  July  22,  1726,  at  a  salary  of  3,500 
livres  a  year  to  succeed  the  painter  Duplessis  as 
art  director  of  the  Beauvais  Tapestry  Works.  In 
return  for  the  salary  he  was  to  furnish  eight  original 
cartoons  28  aunes  long  every  three  years. 

Among  new  designs  employed  by  Merou  were  the 
Animal  Fights  in  eight  pieces  after  Souef;  the 
Grotesques  after  Vernansal,  Blin  de  Fontenay,  and 
Dumons;  Children  Playing,  in  six  pieces  after 
Damoiselet  of  Brussels;  Seaports  in  six  pieces  after 
Kerchooe  and  Campion;  Cephale  and  Procris  in 
four  pieces  after  Damoiselet;  Fine  Verdures  with 
Birds  in  six  pieces  after  Firens,  the  Fair  at  Bezons 
with  small   figures   in   six   pieces   after  Martin,  the 


•  luiuiuum 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  193 

Temple  of  Venus  in  six  pieces  after  Duplessis. 
The  first  cartoons  delivered  by  Oudry  were  the  New 
Hunts  in  six  pieces  (the  Wolf,  the  Stag,  the  Fox, 
the  Wild  Boar,  the  Hound,  the  Deer);  Outdoor 
Games  in  four  pieces;  the  Comedies  of  Moliere  in 
four  pieces  (For  illustrations  of  these  see  Kann 
Collection  1907).  During  the  nine  years  from  1722 
to  1 73 1,  Merou  produced  38  sets  of  tapestries  be- 
sides a  few  portieres  and  furniture  coverings.  But 
of  the  38  sets  only  13  had  been  sold  in  1731  and 
most  at  considerable  loss.  The  Temple  of  Venus, 
that  cost  28,755  hvres  to  make,  was  finally,  after 
vain  efforts  to  find  a  purchaser,  disposed  of  in 
Leipsic  to  King  Augustus  of  Poland  for  only  13,755 
livres.  The  selling  cost  at  the  Paris  shop  was  7  per 
cent,  and  at  the  shop  that  represented  the  works  in 
Leipsic  was  10  per  cent.,  transportation  and  customs 
duties  not  included.  Naturally  enough  Merou  could 
not  go  on  for  ever  doing  business  at  a  loss,  and  in  1734, 
being  unable  to  meet  his  financial  obligations,  was 
obliged  to  retire. 

His  successor  was  Nicolas  Besnier,  a  practical 
man  of  affairs  who  took  up  his  residence  at  Beauvais, 
and  splendidly  seconded  the  efforts  of  Oudry  whose 
academic  duties  and  position  as  chief  inspector  of 
the  Gobelins  (1 733-1 755),  obliged  him  to  live  in 
Paris,  visiting  Beauvais  but  seldom.  Any  tapestry 
signed  BESNIER  ET  OUDRY  in  the  bottom 
selvage  is  worthy  of  careful  attention.  With  the 
accession  of  Besnier  prosperity  arrived.  Oudry 
continued  to  turn  out  cartoons  that  enjoyed  immense 


194  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

popularity,  some  of  them  being  reproduced  ten  or 
a  dozen  times.  Among  these  cartoons  were  new- 
subjects  from  Ovid's  Metamorphoses  in  eight  pieces, 
ten  Fine  Verdures  (the  Pheasant,  the  Eagle,  the 
Fox,  the  Wild  Duck,  the  Bittern,  the  Clarinette,  the 
Bustard,  the  Charmille,  the  Dog  and  the  Pheasant, 
the  Lion  and  the  Boar) ;  and  the  Fables  of  Lafontaine 
(the  Dog  and  her  Companion,  the  Two  Hares,  the 
Lion  and  the  Boar,  the  Fox  and  the  Grapes,  the 
Wolf  and  the  Fox),  that  were  constantly  on  the 
looms  at  Beauvais  for  forty  years  and  were  copied 
and  recopied  by  most  other  tapestry  factories  French 
and  foreign.  Not  content  with  what  he  accom- 
plished himself,  Oudry  invited  the  co-operation  of 
the  artists  then  most  in  vogue.  Incited  by  the 
success  of  Charles  Coypel's  Don  Quixote  series  for 
the  Gobelins,  Charles  Natoire  designed  a  set  of  ten 
Don  Quixote  tapestries  for  Beauvais.  These  tapes- 
tries, ordered  in  1735  for  M.  de  Durfort,  are  now  in 
the  Archbishop's  palace  at  Aix-en-Provence.  Several 
of  the  cartoons  are  in  the  Chateau  de  Compiegne, 
and  one  of  them  is  illustrated  in  Badin  Beauvais. 
Most  famous  of  Oudry's  collaborators  was  Fran- 
cois Boucher  who  supplied  him  with  designs  for 
six  sets  of  tapestries  in  forty-five  pieces.  In  1736 
the  Italian  Fetes  in  fourteen  pieces,  some  of  which 
were  reproduced  sixteen  times  (113  tapestries  in 
all);  in  1741  the  Story  of  Psyche  in  five  pieces 
reproduced  seven  or  eight  times;  in  1743  the  Chinese 
Set  for  which  Dumons  painted  the  cartoons  after 
Boucher's  sketches;    in  1749  the  Loves  of  the  Gods 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  195 

in  nine  pieces;  in  1752  Opera  Fragments  in  five 
pieces;  in  1764  the  Noble  Pastoral  in  six  pieces  for 
the  apartments  of  the  Dauphine  at  Fontainebleau 
(the  Fountain  of  Love,  the  Flute  Player,  Bird 
Catching,  the  Fisherman,  the  Luncheon,  all  illus- 
trated in  Kann  Collection  1907). 

One  piece  of  the  Psyche  set  sold  not  long  ago  for 
$60,000,  and  the  Vertumnus  and  Pomona  tapestry 
from  the  Loves  of  the  Gods  series,  illustrated  in 
colour  as  the  frontispiece  of  this  book,  is  valued  at 
$120,000.  Rather  different  that  from  the  8,835 
livres  12  sous  8  deniers  paid  in  1745  by  the  King 
of  Sweden  for  an  entire  set  without  borders  of  the 
Story  of  Psyche  (the  livre  being  before  1795  the  name 
of  the  coin  now  called  the  franc).  The  set  is  still 
in  the  Royal  Swedish  Collection  and  is  illustrated  in 
Boettiger  Swedish.  There  are  a  number  of  excellent 
examples  of  Beauvais-Boucher  tapestries  in  New 
York  private  collections. 

Just  as  Louis  XIV  visited  Beauvais  under  Behagle, 
so  Louis  XV  visited  it  under  Oudry.  Voltaire 
spoke  of  it  as  "le  royaume  d'Oudry"  (Oudry's 
kingdom).  Oudry's  arrangement  with  Besnier  was 
very  favourable,  for,  in  addition  to  his  fixed  salary, 
he  shared  in  the  profits,  but  not  in  the  losses. 

Besnier's  death  in  1753  preceded  that  of  Oudry 
by  two  years.  He  was  followed  by  Andre  Charle- 
magne Charron  (1 753-1 780),  who  was  able  to  con- 
tinue his  successes.  New  designs  woven  while  Char- 
ron was  manager  are  Scenes  from  the  Iliad  in  seven 
pieces  after  Deshays,  bought  by  the  King  for  575 


196  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

livres  an  aune;  the  Story  of  Astrsea  in  three  pieces, 
after  Deshays;  the  Russian  Games  in  six  pieces 
after  Leprince;  Country  Sports  in  eight  pieces,  the 
Bohemians  in  six  pieces,  the  Four  Ages  in  four 
pieces,  after  Casanova 

The  King  bought  regularly  from  Charron,  paying 
him,  from  1754  to  1779,  no  less  than  450,000  livres 
for  sets  of  tapestries  complete  with  furniture  cover- 
ings to  match,  sent  as  presents  to  foreign  courts. 
Very  interesting  is  the  story  of  the  adventures  of  a 
Chinese  Set  that  went  to  China  in  1763,  and  finally 
returned  to  France.  The  expenditure  for  cartoons, 
from  1754  to  1780,  was  63,956  livres. 

In  1780  Sieur  de  Menou,  a  tapestry  manufacturer 
from  Aubusson,  successfully  introduced  the  making 
of  pile  rugs  of  the  savonnerie  type  at  Beauvais. 
Among  new  designs  woven  by  him  in  tapestry,  were 
the  Pastorals  with  Blue  Draperies  and  Arabesques 
in  eight  pieces  after  J.  B.  Huet;  the  Conquest  of 
the  Indies  in  three  pieces  after  Lavallee  Poussin; 
Military  Scenes  in  six  pieces  after  Casanova;  the 
Sciences  and  the  Arts  after  Lagrenee ;  the  Four  Parts 
of  the  World  after  Lebarbier;  the  Story  of  Alexander 
in  four  pieces  after  Lavallee  Poussin;  Aristotle  draw- 
ing Aspasia's  carriage  Surprised  by  Alexander,  and 
Alcibiades  discovered  among  the  Courtesans  by 
Socrates,  two  pieces  after  Monsiau;  two  pieces 
illustrating  the  Story  of  Achilles  after  Desoria. 

Menou 's  success  is  shown  by  the  increase  in  the 
number  of  workmen  from  the  50  of  Charron's  time 
to   120.     But  when  the   Revolution  came  they  de- 


.WiW* 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  197 

mandcd  higher  pay  and  finally  took  their  grievances 
to  the  National  Assembly.  Menou  declared  himself 
unable  to  meet  the  demands  and  retired  in  1793. 
Then  the  works  were  shut  down  for  a  year,  and  when 
reopened  were  put  under  State  control,  with  wages 
for  piece  work  tripled,  and  six  men  employed.  At 
the  Gobelins  day  wages  had  already  been  substituted 
for  piece  work.  This  example  was  followed  at 
Beauvais  in  1825. 

To-day  the  Beauvais  Works  confine  their  efforts 
ior  the  most  part  to  the  production  of  furniture 
coverings  and  use  the  improved  low  warp  loom 
designed  by  Vaucanson  for  Neilson  at  the  Gobelins. 
Since  1854  the  smaller  looms  at  Beauvais  are  of 
iron,  which  makes  them  lighter  and  easier  to  manipu- 
late, but  the  large  looms  are  still  of  wood,  because 
wood  alone  gives  the  elasticity  necessary  to  preserve 
uniform  tension  in  a  very  wide  warp.  The  use  of 
high  warp  looms  was  practically  dispensed  with  at 
Beauvais  in  the  time  of  Oudry,  and  the  last  high 
warp  looms  there  were  sent  to  the  Gobelins  in  1827, 
when  the  Gobelins  sent  its  last  low  warp  looms  to 
Beauvais. 

The  City  of  Beauvais  is  55  miles  by  rail  north  of 
Paris,  and  the  tapestry  works  are  open  to  visitors 
every  week  day  from  12  to  4.  There  is  an  interest- 
ing museum,  and  a  school  of  design  and  tapestry 
weaving.  The  annual  budget  for  salaries  and 
materials  amounts  to  about  115,000  francs.  Among 
picture  wall  tapestries  woven  at  Beauvais  in  recent 
years  is  a  scene  from  the  Story  of  a  local  heroine, 


198  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Jeanne  Hachette,  designed  by  M.  Cormon  for  the 
Beauvais  Lyceum.  I  saw  it  on  the  occasion  of  my 
visit  to  Beauvais  in  March,  1906,  and  liked  it  much. 

AUBUSSON   LOOMS 

A  set  of  Aubusson  tapestries  to  cover  five  pieces 
of  furniture — sofa,  two  arm-chairs,  two  side  chairs — 
weighs  ten  pounds,  measures  nine  square  yards,  and 
costs  in  the  United  States  from  $1,000  to  $5,000. 
That  is  to  say,  if  you  bought  it  by  weight,  you  would 
pay  from  $100  to  $500  a  pound.  If  you  bought  it 
by  area,  you  would  pay  from  $110  to  $550  a  square 
yard.  To  an  Aubusson  set  that  costs  $1,400  corre- 
spond a  Belleville  set  at  $950  and  a  Nimes  set  at 
$700 — both  the  latter  broche  imitations  of  real 
tapestry  that  are  sometimes  mistaken  for  it. 

Aubusson  tapestries  are  woven  in  the  little  town 
of  Aubusson  in  France,  207  miles  by  rail  south  of 
Paris.  Tradition  says  that  the  industry  was  estab- 
lished there  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  732  by  stragglers 
from  the  Saracen  army  that  Charlemagne's  grand- 
father, Charles  Martel,  defeated  near  Tours,  thus 
saving  Europe  to  Christianity.  In  1664  the  tapes- 
try merchants  and  weavers  of  Aubusson,  in  a  report 
to  the  King  on  the  condition  of  the  manufacture, 
declared  that  it  had  been  "established  from  time 
immemorial,  no  person  knowing  the  institution  of 
it."  But  the  first  documentary  evidence  that  has 
been  discovered  of  tapestries  woven  in  the  Aubusson 
district,  is  in  the  will  dated  1507  of  the  Duchess  of 


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uiuuttiHMiii&imnuui 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  199 

Valentinois,  who  had  the  somewhat  doubtful  dis- 
tinction of  being  the  widow  of  the  notorious  Caesar 
Borgia.  In  the  will  are  enumerated  numerous 
tapestries  from  the  looms  of  Felletin,  mostly  ver- 
dures, several  of  them  being  described  as  "tappicerie 
de  Felletin  a.  feuillages." 

Colour  plate  no.  IV  illustrates  the  front  and  the 
reverse  of  an  Aubusson  chair-back.  The  ribs  run 
vertically  instead  of  horizontally  as  on  wall  tapes- 
tries. In  furniture  tapestries  the  ribs  are  either 
vertical  or  horizontal  as  is  most  convenient  for  the 
weaver,  and  the  texture  is  often  as  fine  as  24  ribs  to 
the  inch.  The  warp  of  the  tapestry  before  us  is  of 
wool  and  the  weft  is  of  silk  and  wool,  principally  silk. 
Aubusson  seats  and  backs  are  largely  in  the  style 
of  Louis  XV  or  XVI,  and  consequently  in  delicate 
tones  that  are  most  easily  secured  in  silk. 

Returning  to  the  colour  illustration,  I  would  ask 
the  reader  to  note  that  the  reverse  of  a  tapestry 
furnishes  a  quick  test  to  enable  the  novice  to  dis- 
tinguish real  tapestry  from  Belleville  and  Nimes 
broche  imitations.  In  the  broche  the  floats  on  the 
back  are  all  parallel  with  the  weft — that  is  to  say 
perpendicularly  across  the  warp.  But  in  real  tapes- 
tries the  back  is  covered  with  loose  threads — not 
parallel — that  mark  the  transition  of  bobbin  from 
section  to  section  of  the  same  colour.  When  the 
loose  threads  are  shaved  off,  the  back  is  seen  to  be 
exactly  like  the  face,  except  that  the  direction  of 
the  design  is  reversed. 

In    a.d.    418,    the    land    of    the    Lemovices,    that 


200  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

in  four  and  a  half  centuries  had  become  more  Ro- 
man than  Rome  itself,  was  granted  by  the  Roman 
Emperor  Honorius  to  the  invading  Visigoths — 
barbarians  from  the  forests  of  Germany  and  Russia 
— as  their  "mark."  Hence  its  Latin  name  Marchia 
Lemovicina  that  in  French  became  La  Marche. 
Auvergne  got  its  name  from  the  Arverni,  and  in  the 
seventeenth  century  Aubusson  tapestries  were  often 
called  "tapisseries  d'Auvergne,"  while  tapestries 
made  in  Felletin  were  called  "tapisseries  de  La 
Marche."  The  modern  name  for  the  political 
division  in  which  both  towns  are  situated  is  the 
Department  de  la  Creuse,  named  from  the  river  that 
flows  through  Aubusson,  which  was  said  to  possess, 
like  the  Bievre  of  the  Gobelins,  and  the  Bronx  at 
Williamsbridge,  certain  mysterious  qualities  that 
endear  its  water  to  the  dyers  of  wool. 

In  the  year  1581  an  ordinance  of  Henri  III  speaks 
of  tapestries  from  Felletin  and  Aubusson  as  "tap- 
pisserie  ou  tapis  dit  Feletin,  d'Auvergne."  In  1601 
Henri  IV  encouraged  the  industry  greatly  by  for- 
bidding the  importation  of  Flemish  tapestries  into 
France.  But  the  Parisians  were  not  content  to 
share  prosperity  with  Aubusson.  They  wanted  a 
monopoly  of  the  Paris  market.  They  wanted  to 
tax  the  Aubusson  tapestries  on  entry  to  Paris,  and 
to  allow  them  to  remain  there  on  exhibition  only  a 
fortnight.  Evidently  they  feared  the  competition 
of  the  hardy  mountaineers  of  Auvergne  and  La 
Marche.  Fortunately  the  Government  did  not 
share  their  local  selfishness,  and  a  royal  decree  dated 


nUUmUMTUHIUKMIIlUHIUIUWI 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  201 

February  I,  1620,  confirmed  Aubusson  and  Felletin 
in  their  rights. 

An  indication  of  the  high  quality  of  the  work 
being  done  at  Aubusson  in  the  first  part  of  the 
XVII  century  is  the  fact  that,  in  1625,  a  tapestry 
merchant  of  Aubusson  received  an  order  to  supply 
the  cathedral  of  Reims  with  four  figure  tapestries 
on  religious  subjects — the  Assumption,  the  Virgin 
with  the  infant  Christ,  Saint  Nicaise,  and  Saint 
Remi.  Contemporary  evidence  about  tapestry 
weaving  at  Aubusson  in  the  XVII  century  is  also 
to  be  found  in  the  article  on  the  Haute  Lisse  in 
Savary's  Dictionnaire  du  Commerce,  published  in 
1 64 1.  He  says:  "There  are  also  two  other  French 
tapestry  factories,  one  at  Aubusson  in  Auvergne,  and 
the  other  at  Felletin  in  La  Marche.  It  is  the 
tapestries  made  in  these  places  that  are  called 
tapisseries  d'Auvergne.  Felletin  makes  the  best 
verdures,  and  Aubusson  the  best  figures.  It  is  a 
long  time  since  anything  but  the  basse  lisse  [low 
warp  loom]  has  been  used  either  in  Auvergne  or 
Picardy." 

By  1664,  however,  the  industry  appeared  to  be  in 
a  bad  way.  According  to  the  report  made  to  Col- 
bert, the  number  of  weavers  had  decreased,  there 
was  a  lack  of  good  cartoons,  and  wool  was  coarse, 
and  the  dyes  were  bad.  The  tapestry  merchants 
and  weavers  of  Aubusson  requested  the  services  of 
a  good  painter  and  an  able  dyer.  They  were  not 
willing  to  have  all  the  royal  favours  showered  on  the 
Gobelins  and  Beauvais,  while  Aubusson  got  nothing. 


202  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

I  suspect  that  they  may  even  have  exaggerated  their 
woes  in  order  to  move  the  royal  compassion.  In 
response  to  their  petition,  the  King  the  next  year 
authorised  them  to  use  the  title  "Royal  Manu- 
factory." It  was  also  ordered  that  "as  the  perfec- 
tion of  the  said  tapestries  depends  especially  on  good 
designs  and  the  dyeing  of  the  wools,  in  order  to 
improve  the  said  works  and  to  treat  favourably  the 
workmen,  a  good  painter  chosen  by  the  Sieur  Col- 
bert, should  be  maintained  at  the  expense  of  the 
King  to  make  designs  for  the  tapestries  manufactured 
in  the  said  town;  and  there  should  also  be  estab- 
lished in  it  a  master  dyer  to  colour  the  goods  em- 
ployed in  the  said  manufactory."  Why  the  prom- 
ised painter  and  dyer  were  not  sent  at  once  we  do 
not  know.  Perhaps  the  fact  that  Aubusson  was  a 
Protestant  town  may  have  had  something  to  do 
with  it.  At  any  rate,  a  few  years  later,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes 
in  1685,  Aubusson  lost  an  important  part  of  its 
population.  Together  with  other  Protestants  two 
hundred  of  the  best  weavers  of  Aubusson  had  to 
leave  France.  Pierre  Mercier,  with  nine  others, 
went  to  Germany,  and  was  successful  in  establishing 
himself  there. 

The  promised  painter  and  dyer  were  finally  sent 
in  the  year  1731,  in  the  reign  of  Louis  XV.  The 
painter  was  Jean  Joseph  Dumons;  the  dyer  was 
the  Sieur  Fizameau,  who  was  succeeded  shortly 
by  Pierre  de  Montezert.  An  ordinance  of  1732 
provided    that    the    work    of   Aubusson    should    be 


CHINESE  SCENE 

PLATE  no.  203.  A  Chinese  Return  from  Fishing.  An  Aubusson  XVTII  century  tapestry  in  the  collection  of  M.  Martin  Le  Roy, 
versed  and  modified  from  one  of  the  nine  Chinese  designs  painted  by  Francois  Boucher  in  1742  for  the  Beauvais  Tapestry  Works, 
w  preserved  in  the  Museum  of  Besanc,on.  The  maker  was  Pierre  Picon  who  signed  duplicates  of  two  of  the  companion  pieces  in 
i  Le  Roy  collection:   M.  R.  D'AVBVSSON.  PICON    (Royal  Manufactory  of  Aubusson,  Picon). 


204  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

distinguished  by  weaving  the  name  of  the  town  and 
the  initials  of  the  weaver  into  the  border.  After 
the  arrival  of  Dumons  and  largely  as  the  result 
of  his  efforts,  the  industry  became  again  prosperous. 
During  the  French  Revolution,  weaving  was  prac- 
tically suspended  both  here  and  at  the  Gobelins. 
The  condition  of  Aubusson  a  little  later  can  be  seen 
from  a  report  made  to  Napoleon  in  1804.  It  gives 
the  number  of  workmen  on  flat  rugs,  hangings,  and 
furniture  coverings  as  240  to  250,  and  on  pile  rugs 
as  50  to  60.  The  looms,  except  those  for  pile  rugs, 
were  at  the  houses  of  the  workmen.  Linen  came 
from  Flanders,  silk  from  Lyons,  wool  from  Bayonne. 
Work  was  partly  by  the  piece,  partly  by  the  day,  and 
wages  were  from  a  franc  to  a  franc  and  a  half  a  day. 
The  total  production  was  about  $30,000  a  year. 
Tapestries  in  fine  wool  were  from  $10  to  $18  a  yard, 
in  silk  from  $24  to  $30. 

At  the  present  time  1,800  men  and  women  are 
employed  at  Aubusson  in  making  rugs  and  tapestries 
by  hand,  the  total  product  being  about  $200,000 
yearly.  The  best  foreign  customers  are  the  United 
States  and  England.  The  weavers  are  contented 
with  from  $1  to  $2  a  day  according  to  ability.  In 
1804  they  got  from  twenty  to  thirty  cents  only. 
The  painters  who  produce  the  coloured  cartoons, 
some  original  and  some  copied  or  adapted  from  the 
antique,  receive  from  $80  to  $120  a  month.  For  a 
training  school,  Aubusson  has  a  "National  School 
of  Decorative  Art."  Apprentices  are  received  in 
the  different  ateliers  at  the  age  of  thirteen  and  by 





HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  205 

the  end  of  the  first  year  are  paid  two  or  three  cents 
a  day.  Their  assistance  in  the  simpler  and  easier 
work  is  important  in  keeping  the  cost  of  production 
down. 

At  the  Paris  Exposition  of  1900,  the  exhibits  of 
three  Aubusson  manufacturers  were  of  such  ex- 
cellence as  to  be  awarded  Grand  Prizes — the  same 
award  as  to  the  Gobelins,  the  product  of  which  is 
reserved  for  the  French  Government. 

Among  the  tapestries  that  helped  to  win  these 
grand  prizes,  were  reproductions  of  one  of  Oudry's 
XVIII  century  Hunts  of  Louis  XV,  of  the  panel 
Venus  and  the  panel  Jupiter  from  Claude  Audran's 
Grotesque  Months;  in  silk  and  gold  of  the  Chateau 
de  Blois  and  the  Chateau  de  St.  Germain,  from 
Lebrun's  XVII  century  series  the  Royal  Residences. 
Of  these  reproductions  the  jury  said:  "They  are 
so  like  the  originals  as  to  be  mistaken  for  them." 
Of  an  Empire  set  of  furniture  coverings,  part  antique 
and  part  Aubusson  restoration,  the  jury  said: 
"Only  the  most  experienced  eye  can  tell  the  new 
from  the  old." 


CHAPTER   VII 

Other  Looms 

American,  Italian,  German,  Spanish,   Russian 

The  late  William  Baumgarten  was  a  man  of 
strong  personality  and  great  executive  ability.  In 
a  lecture  held  before  the  Society  of  Antiquarians 
at  the  Art  Institute,  Chicago,  March  25,  1897,  he 
told  the  story  of  the  founding  at  Williamsbridge 
in  New  York  City,  of  the  first  tapestry  works  in 
America.     He  said: 

"The  history  of  our  enterprise  is  soon  told.  When 
the  thought  first  came  to  me  of  attempting  the 
introduction  of  tapestry-making  in  this  country,  I 
was  fully  aware  of  the  magnitude  of  the  task  and 
of  the  serious  obstacles  to  be  overcome.  It  was,  of 
course,  necessary  to  bring  the  artisans  over  from 
France,  and  to  build  the  looms  as  a  first  step.  This 
seems  simple  enough,  and  yet,  had  we  not  had  the 
good  fortune  of  finding  M.  Foussadier,  the  former 
master  workman  of  the  Royal  Windsor  Tapestry 
Works  in  England,  it  might  have  been  very  difficult 
to  get  other  first-class  men  to  come  after  him. 
They  were  all  unwilling  to  leave  France,  and  could 
only  be  induced  by  the  promise  of  higher  wages, 
the  guarantee  of  steady  work  for  at  least  a  year 
and  free  passage  over  and  back. 

206 


GOTHIC  HUNTING  TAPESTRY 

PLATE  no.  207.    A  Late  Gothic  Hunting  tapestry  designed  in  America,  and  woven  at  Williamsbridge.    Interesting  to  compare 
with  it  is  the  hunting  scene  in  the  Hoentschel  Collection  lent  by  Mr.  Morgan  to  the  Metropolitan  Museum. 


208  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

"M.  Foussadier,  with  his  family,  came  over  the 
early  part  of  January,  1893,  bringing  with  him  a 
small  loom  which  was  at  once  set  up  in  one  of  our 
rooms  at  No.  321  Fifth  Avenue,  and  work  began. 
I  can  here  show  you  the  first  piece  of  tapestry 
produced.  It  is  a  small  chair  seat,  and  took  about 
two  weeks  to  make.  It  is  a  simple  and  modest 
production,  but  is  not  for  sale,  and  is  intended  to 
remain  an  heirloom  in  my  family  as  the  first  piece 
of  tapestry  produced  in  America.  The  second 
piece,  exactly  the  same,  was  soon  produced,  and 
this  found  its  way,  through  the  kindly  interest  of 
its  wide-awake  Director,  to  the  Field  Museum  in 
Chicago. 

"Four  more  weavers  soon  followed  my  new 
superintendent,  one  after  another,  in  the  first  few 
months.  In  the  meantime  we  had  built  more 
looms,  and  it  had  become  necessary  to  find  a  suitable 
home  for  their  ateliers,  and  my  choice  fell  on  a 
house  in  Williamsbridge,  which  was  in  former  years 
a  French  restaurant  and  hotel,  where  I  spent  many 
a  happy  Sunday  in  the  springtime  of  my  Bohemian 
days,  30  years  ago.  There  is  quite  a  French  settle- 
ment there,  and  I  thought  my  men  would  feel  more 
at  home  there  than  elsewhere.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  they  have  found  here  a  little  paradise. 

"But  we  soon  made  another  happy  discovery. 
M.  Foussadier,  who  is  as  expert  a  dyer  as  he  is  a 
weaver,  soon  discovered,  at  his  first  experiments, 
that  the  water  of  the  Bronx  River,  which  flows  at 
our  door,  possesses  the  most  excellent  qualities  for 


WINTER 

PLATE  no.  209.  Winter,  one  of  a  set  of  tapestry  portieres  designed  and  made  at  Williamsbridge  for  the 
dining  room  of  a  residence  in  New  York  City.  In  the  right  selvage  appears  the  mark  of  the  maker,  a  B 
with  shield. 


210  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

dyeing  purposes.  This  is  owing  to  the  dissolved 
vegetable  substances  which  it  contains.  I  may 
here  mention  that  this  same  quality  was  attributed 
to  the  water  of  the  little  river  La  Bievre  in  the 
Faubourg  St.  Marcel  in  Paris,  where  the  Gobelins 
located  their  dye-works  in  the  XV  century,  and 
which  became  so  famous  on  account  of  their  supe- 
riority over  all  others. 

"The  next  step  was  to  secure  apprentices,  with 
the  view  of  making  the  industry  gradually  a  native 
one  and  independent  of  foreign  workmen.  This, 
however,  proved  more  difficult.  It  is  one  of  the 
evils  of  this  country  that  boys,  after  leaving  school, 
are  not  permitted  or  bound  to  serve  a  regular  ap- 
prenticeship for  three  or  four  years,  as  in  Europe, 
to  properly  learn  a  trade.  They  are  required  by 
their  parents  to  earn  at  once  $3  or  $4  a  week,  which 
drives  them  into  the  stores  and  messenger  offices, 
etc.  It  is  evident  that  for  the  first  year  or  two 
little,  if  anything,  is  of  value  to  me  that  can  be  done 
by  these  boys.  On  the  contrary,  they  require 
constant  tuition  and  use  up  material  which  consti- 
tutes an  actual  loss  to  me.  However,  I  determined 
to  make  the  sacrifice  in  order  to  make  a  beginning, 
and  we  took  on  two  boys  to  whom  we  promised  $2 
per  week  the  first  year,  $4  the  second  year,  $6  the 
third  and  $8  the  fourth.  These  were  followed  by 
two  more  boys  the  second  year,  and  again  by  two 
more  the  third.  All  six  are  now  doing  very  well, 
and  the  first  two  are  already  producing  quite  good 
work. 


mm 


mmmji 


212  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

"Thus,  the  first  year  was  employed  to  get  well 
started  and  to  produce  a  number  of  specimens,  such 
as  curtains,  portieres,  borders,  chair  coverings,  etc., 
of  various  qualities  to  show  what  we  could  do.  It 
was  at  the  end  of  the  first  year,  in  April,  1894,  that 
I  had  the  honour  to  read  before  the  National  Society 
of  Sculpture,  New  York,  a  little  paper  on  our  tapestry 
industry,  and  to  submit  to  their  inspection  some  of 
our  first  productions.  They  were  not  very  pre- 
tentious, to  be  sure,  and  I  said  then  that  my  ambition 
and  aim  was  much  higher,  that  I  hoped  some  day 
to  make  wall  panels  of  as  high  an  artistic  merit  and 
as  excellent  in  workmanship  as  the  best  of  the 
preceding  centuries.  For  such  work,  however,  one 
must  have  orders,  and  in  these  depressed  times  they 
were  not  easily  obtained. 

"Shortly  after  this  lecture  before  the  National 
Sculpture  Society,  I  arranged  a  little  exhibition  of 
the  first  year's  products,  in  one  of  our  warerooms, 
and  sent  out  cards.  This  was  in  May,  1894.  In 
response  to  the  invitation,  among  many  others  a 
gentleman  from  Philadelphia  walked  in  on  a  line 
May  morning,  saying  he  wished  to  see  the  show. 
He  liked  to  take  in  shows  that  cost  nothing,  he  said. 
After  some  conversation  and  a  careful  inspection 
of  our  new  productions,  he  said,  'So  you  would  like 
to  make  more  ambitious  things,  wall  panels  with 
figure  compositions,  eh?  Do  you  think  you  could 
do  as  well  as  those  old  fellows  of  a  hundred  or  two 
hundred  years  ago?'  To  which  I  meekly  answered 
that  I  would  try,  if  I  had  the  opportunity.     'Well,' 


lll^SRIllHliBSllRHDiSaiHini 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  213 

he  said,  'I  will  give  you  the  opportunity.  Come 
over  to  Philadelphia  next  week  and  I  will  show  you 
the  room.'  The  result  was  that,  after  making 
coloured  sketches,  which  took  about  a  month  and 
which  were  approved,  I  received  my  first  com- 
mission for  a  complete  set  of  wall  panels  for  a 
Parlour,  13  in  number,  all  in  the  genre  of  Boucher, 
with  what  is  called  'Pastoral  Scenes.'  It  also 
included  the  furniture  coverings  and  two  pairs  of 
portieres,  and  the  cost  amounted  to  over  $20,000. 
The  work  was  completed  by  the  first  of  December, 
1895,  in  about  15  months.  I  had  the  gratification 
of  having  our  work  pass  muster  before  the  critical 
eyes  of  many  leading  artists  and  connoisseurs,  and 
it  has  given  the  greatest  pleasure  ever  since  to  my 
courageous  and  generous  client  in  Philadelphia,  Mr. 
P.  A.  B.  Widener. 

"The  number  of  workmen  were,  of  course,  im- 
mediately increased  by  fresh  importations  from 
Europe.  Six  of  them  came  in  a  lot,  and  were  duly 
stopped  by  the  Immigration  Commissioners  as 
contract  labourers.  Then  began  my  troubles.  I 
was  ordered  to  appear  before  this  august  tribunal 
of  wise  judges,  six  in  number,  mostly  Irish  and 
German  politicians,  who  knew  absolutely  nothing 
about  tapestry,  and  could  not  be  made  to  believe 
that  in  this,  the  greatest  of  all  the  countries  in  the 
world,  there  were  no  such  beings  as  tapestry  weavers 
to  be  found,  and  that  it  was  absolutely  a  new  in- 
dustry I  was  founding,  for  which  the  law  allows  the 
admission   of  imported   workmen.     I   gave   them   a 


214  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

most  exhaustive  lecture,  with  historical  and  statisti- 
cal data,  while  my  poor  Frenchmen  sat  by  like 
prisoners,  not  knowing  what  it  was  all  about. 
However,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  after  a  few 
days,  they  were  liberated  by  an  order  from  the 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  and  thus  escaped  the 
dreadful  fate  of  being  returned  to  their  own  lovely 
country,  la  Belle  France." 

Of  the  six  large  tapestry  plants  in  this  world — 
the  Gobelins,  Beauvais,  three  at  Aubusson,  Williams- 
bridge — the  American  one  is  by  no  means  the 
least  important,  as  regards  either  quality  or  quantity 
of  output.  It  was  awarded  a  Grand  Prize  for  two 
panels  exhibited  at  the  St.  Louis  Exposition  in  1904, 
and  has  executed  commissions  for  a  large  proportion 
of  the  leading  families  of  this  country.  Illustrations 
nos.  207,  209,  211,  247,  249,  251,  253,  are  of  Williams- 
bridge  looms,   materials,   processes,   and  product. 

THE   HERTER   LOOMS 

Four  years  ago,  in  February,  1908,  to  be  exact, 
Albert  Herter  established  on  East  33d  Street  in  the 
heart  of  New  York  City,  the  looms  that  bear  his 
name,  and  started  to  weave  tapestries  of  the  kind 
woven  in  the  Netherlands  in  the  time  of  Philip  the 
Handsome,  Margaret  of  Austria,  and  Charles  V. 
Though  a  painter  by  profession,  Mr.  Herter  has  a 
keen  appreciation  of  tapestry  texture,  which  he  has 
developed  by  personal  work  at  the  loom.  In  this 
he  follows  William  Morris  whose  views  and  practice 


216  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

are  expressed  in  chapter  V.  Like  Morris,  he  has  a 
particular  liking  for  Late  Gothic  "verdures  with 
personages,"  as  illustrated  by  the  tapestry  I  re- 
produce on  plate  no.  215,  and  by  the  one  woven 
for  the  upper  wall  of  the  hall  in  the  house  of  Mrs. 
E.  H.  Harriman  at  Arden.  The  latter  is  fifty  feet 
long  by  five  feet  high,  and  backgrounds  American 
dryads  and  nymphs  of  forest  and  fountain,  with 
trees  and  flowers,  birds,  rabbits  and  foxes,  native 
to  Arden.  Later  in  style — definitely  Renaissance 
with  wide  and  luxuriant  borders — are  two  panels 
each  9  feet  11  by  7  feet  8,  picturing  one  a  hunter 
with  his  dog,  the  other  a  lady  and  a  flower  girl. 
Quite  different  in  type  is  the  armourial  panel  8  feet 
by  5,  woven  for  Mr.  John  De  Kay  to  hang  in  his 
French  castle,  the  Chateau  de  Coucy.  Especially 
interesting  should  be  the  set  of  26  panels  now  on 
the  looms,  picturing  the  Story  of  New  York  back  to 
the  days  when  Peter  Stuyvesant  smoked  his  long- 
stemmed  pipe  and  cursed  in  Dutch. 

OTHER   AMERICAN   LOOMS 

Among  other  American  tapestry  looms,  the  most 
important  are  those  established  two  years  ago  on 
Lexington  Avenue  in  New  York  City  by  Pottier  & 
Stymus. 

ITALIAN   LOOMS 

Tapestries  and  rugs  are,  for  Italians,  an  acquired 
taste,  not  made  necessary  by  the  climate  of  Italy, 
where   frescoes   and    mosaics   are    the   natural    and 


";-■ ..^ 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  217 

obvious  ornamental  coverings  for  walls  and  floors. 
But  in  Italy,  as  elsewhere,  national  custom  and  in- 
dividual taste  bow  before  the  great  god  Fashion. 
Italian  noblemen  of  the  XV  century  were  quick  to 
appreciate  the  beauty  of  the  hangings  turned  out 
from  Flemish  looms.  In  1376  the  Count  of  Savoy 
placed  an  important  order  with  the  great  Parisian 
manufacturer  Nicolas  Bataille.  In  1399  Francesco 
Gonzaga  sent  a  set  of  tapestries  to  Paris  to  have  the 
arms  of  Bohemia  replaced  by  those  of  the  Visconti. 
In  1406  an  inventory  shows  that  he  possessed  more 
than  50  tapestries. 

About  this  time  French-Flemish  tapestry-weavers 
began  to  cross  the  Alps,  and  set  up  small  plants 
under  the  protection  of  different  nobles  and  cities. 
The  most  ancient  one  with  which  we  are  acquainted 
is  that  of  the  Gonzagas,  at  Mantua,  which  was  in 
operation  by  1419  under  the  management  of  Johannes 
Thomae  de  Francia  (John  Thomas  of  France),  and 
which  executed  work  for  Pope  Martin  V.  Later 
managers  were  Nicolas,  Guidone,  Adamante,  all 
French;  Rinaldo  Boteram  of  Brussels,  Rubichetto. 
Among  painters  who  furnished  cartoons  were  Gio- 
vanni dei  Conradi,  and  the  famous  master,  Andrea 
Mantegna,  whose  paintings  that  picture  the  Triumphs 
of  Caesar  were  acquired  by  Charles  I  of  England,  and 
are  now  at  Hampton   Court   (See  chapter   IX). 

At  Venice,  in  142 1,  John  of  Bruges  and  Valentine 
of  Arras  set  up  short-lived  looms  and  Alviso  Vivarini 
painted  cartoons  for  the  Story  of  Saint  Theodore. 

At  Siena,  in  1438,  Rinaldo  Boteram  of  Brussels  set 


218  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

up  looms,  receiving  a  bounty  from  the  city.  In 
1442  he  was  replaced  by  Jacquet,  son  of  Benoit  of 
Arras.  The  latter  wove  the  Story  of  Saint  Peter, 
in  six  pieces,  besides  many  small  decorative  pieces 
and  furniture  coverings. 

At  Rome,  about  1455,  Renaud  de  Maincourt 
executed  for  Pope  Nicolas  V  the  Creation  of  the 
World  that  was  much  praised  by  contemporaries. 

In  Ferrara  the  Flemish  weaver,  Giacomo  de  Angelo, 
was  joined  at  the  Court  of  the  Estes  by  his  com- 
patriot, Pietro  di  Andrea,  in  1441,  and  later  important 
tapestries  were  woven  under  the  direction  of  Lievin 
of  Bruges  after  cartoons  by  Cosimo  Tura,  Gerardo 
di  Vicence,  Ugolino.  Sabadino,  an  Egyptian  weaver 
of  rare  ability,  also  worked  for  Duke  Hercules  I. 

In  the  XVI  century  the  tapestry  works  at  Ferrara 
were  revived  after  a  long  period  of  rest  by  Duke 
Hercules  II  (1 534-1 559).  Employed  by  him  were 
the  two  famous  Flemish  weavers,  Nicolas  Karcher 
and  John  Karcher,  the  former  of  whom  brought  six 
workmen  with  him  from  Flanders,  among  them 
John  Roost.  Also  at  Ferrara  was  a  Brussels  weaver, 
Gerard  Slot,  until  1562.  In  five  years  not  less  than 
25  tapestries  came  from  the  looms  of  John  Karcher, 
who  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Louis,  painter  and 
weaver.  The  death  of  Duke  Hercules  II  ended  the 
period  of  prosperity.  The  head  painter  of  the 
works  was  Battista  Dossa,  who  designed  a  Life  of 
Hercules  and  Scenes  from  the  Metamorphoses.  It 
is  also  said  that  Giulio  Romano  designed  his  Story 
of  Scipio,  and  Combat  of  the  Titans,  for  Ferrara.     Of 


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220  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

tapestries  woven  here,  the  Cathedral  of  Ferrara  has 
the  Story  of  Saint  George  and  Saint  Maurelius,  the 
Cathedral  of  Como  the  Story  of  the  Virgin.  In 
the  XVII  century  the  store-rooms  of  the  Estes  con- 
tained more  than  500  pieces,  some  made  in  Ferrara, 
some  in  Flanders. 

At  Florence,  the  Medicis  were  inspired  to  imitate 
the  example  of  the  Estes,  and  for  a  hundred  years 
— from  1546  to  1737 — the  Arazzeria  Medicea  flour- 
ished. The  founders  were  Jean  Roost  and  Nicolas 
Karcher  whom  the  Duke  Cosimo  I  agreed  to  supply 
with  factory  space  free,  and  pay  each  600  golden 
ecus  per  year  in  addition  to  what  he  paid  for  work 
done.  They  were  left  free  to  accept  outside  com- 
missions, but  must  train  apprentices  and  were  to 
set  up  24  looms,  12  of  them  low-warp.  In  the 
Florence  Tapestry  Museum  are  many  examples  of 
their  work,  Karcher  signing  tapestries  with  his 
initials,  Roost  with  a  crude  picture  of  a  roast  turning 
on  a  spit.  The  chef-d'oeuvre  of  Roost  and  Karcher 
was  probably  the  Story  of  Joseph  in  20  pieces  that 
must  have  cost  not  less  than  60,000  golden  ecus. 
It  was  designed  by  the  painter  Bronzino  who  also 
designed  a  Parnassus,  a  Hippocrene,  a  Marsyas. 
In  1550  Roost  wove  the  Story  of  Saint  Mark  for  the 
ancient  basilica  of  Venice,  after  cartoons  by  Jacopo 
Sansovino.  Other  cartoons  were  those  of  Ecce 
Homo,  a  Pieta,  a  Lucretia,  a  Story  of  Alexander,  by 
Salviati;  and  of  the  Twelve  Months  (See  plate  no. 
219)  and  the  Grotesques  (See  plate  no.  353),  by 
Bachiacca.     None  of  the  designs  rank  high  as  works 


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222  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

of  art.  They  are  distinguished  by  showy  affectation 
and  theatrical  pomp.  The  extreme  of  decadence 
was  reached  by  a  Flemish  painter  named  Jan  Van 
Straaten  (Stradano),  who  was  the  art  director  of 
the  works  during  the  last  few  years  of  the  XVI 
century. 

One  of  the  first  tapestry  plants  to  develop  in 
Italy  in  the  XVI  century  was  at  Vigevano,  under 
the  management  of  Benedetto  da  Milano.  Here 
were  woven  the  Triulce  Months,  ordered  by  Marshal 
Triulce  and  still  preserved  in  the  family  palace  at 
Milan.  The  designs  are  attributed  to  Bramantino 
but  do  that  artist  no  credit,  being  heavy  and  poorly 
composed.  One  of  the  pieces  bears  the  inscription: 
EGO  BENEDICTUS  DE  MEDIOLANI  HOC 
OPUS  FECI,   CUM  SOCIIS  IN  VIGLEVANI. 

In  the  XVII  century  among  master- weavers  in 
Florence  were  Papini,  Jacques  Elbert  Van  Asselt, 
Pierre  Lefevre  (Pietro  Fevere  or  Lefebvre),  Giovanni 
Pollastri,  Bernadino  Van  Asselt  who  signed  the 
Moses  Striking  the  Rock  lent  to  the  Metropolitan 
Museum  by  Mr.  Rhinelander,  Giovanni  Battista 
Termini  and  his  brother  Stefano,  Matteo  Benvenuti, 
Bernadino  Masi,  Philip  Lefevre  son  of  Pierre  named 
above,  Nicolo  Bartoli,  Andrea  and  Bernardino  Manzi, 
Angiola  Masi,  Giuseppe  Cavalieri,  Alessandro  Ligi, 
Michele  Bucci. 

Especially  interesting  to  Americans  is  the  factory 
founded  in  Rome  in  1633  by  Cardinal  Francesco 
Barberini,  nephew  of  Pope  Urban  VIII.  The 
Cardinal,  during  his  visit  as  legate  to  the  Court  of 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  223 

Louis  XIII,  in  1625,  had  been  inspired  by  the  wealth 
of  tapestries  seen  and  by  the  flourishing  condition 
of  the  French  tapestry  works  of  Comans  and  Planche, 
and  had  made  exhaustive  investigations  into  the 
origin,  quality,  and  character  of  wools,  silks,  and  dye- 
stuffs,  and  into  methods  of  weaving  and  dyeing. 
The  replies  were  preserved  in  the  Barberini  library, 
in  a  huge  case  labelled  DIARIUM,  and  there  con- 
sulted by  Mr.  Charles  M.  Ffoulke,  who,  in  1889, 
purchased  the  Barberini  collection  of  tapestries  and 
brought  it  to  the  United  States.  While  Nicolas 
Poussin  and  Pietro  de  Cortona  supplied  designs  for 
the  Barberini  works,  the  regular  art  director  was 
Jean  Francois  Romanelli,  and  the  manager  of  the 
works  was  Jacopo  della  Riviera.  Among  sets  de- 
signed by  Romanelli  and  woven  by  Riviera  were 
the  Life  of  Urban  VIII,  in  six  pieces,  of  which  three 
are  described  (one  illustrated)  in  Somzee  Sale  1901 
and  Scenes  in  the  Life  of  Christ  in  11  pieces.  The 
latter  set  passed  from  Mr.  Ffoulke's  possession  into 
that  of  Mrs.  John  W.  Simpson,  who  presented  them 
to  the  Cathedral  of  Saint  John  the  Divine  in  New 
York.  For  a  time  (1907-8),  they  were  on  exhibition 
at  the  Metropolitan  Museum,  but  now  hang  in  the 
Cathedral.  Several  of  the  pieces  are  signed  JAC. 
D.  L.  RIV.  and  all  bear  the  arms  of  Urban  VIII  in 
each  of  the  four  corners — three  golden  bees,  mon- 
tantes,  shaded  with  sable,  posed  two  and  one  on  an 
azure  field.  In  the  middle  of  the  top  borders  of 
some  is  the  Sun  adopted  by  the  Barberini  as  crest; 
in  the  top  border  of  some  of  them  is  a  plough  drawn 


224  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

by  two  bees  and  guided  by  a  third ;  in  the  middle  of 
the  side  borders  of  most,  on  the  right  Faith  holding 
a  cross,  on  the  left  Hope  with  clasped  hands;  in 
the  bottom  border  of  most,  Charity  suckling  a  child. 

The  subjects  are:  (i)  the  Annunciation,  (2)  the 
Adoration  of  the  Shepherds,  (3)  the  Adoration  of 
the  Magi,  (4)  the  Flight  into  Egypt,  (5)  the  Bap- 
tism of  Christ,  (6)  the  Transfiguration,  (7)  the  Last 
Supper,  (8)  the  Mount  of  Olives,  (9)  the  Crucifixion, 
(10)  the  Resurrection,  (11)  Giving  the  Keys  to 
Saint  Peter.  With  these  is  included  a  tapestry  not 
belonging  to  the  set  but  appropriate  in  subject,  No. 
12,  a  Map  of  the  Holy  Land. 

The  tapestries  are  15  feet  8  inches  high  and  vary 
in  width  from  12  feet  10  to  19  feet  1.  In  the  weaving 
Riviera  was  assisted  by  his  son-in-law  Rocci,  a  fact 
that  makes  interesting  the  following  extract  from  the 
Papal  archives: 

"On  the  25th  day  of  February,  1643,  one  hundred 
and  thirty-four  scudi  were  paid  to  Gasparo  Rocci, 
tapestry  weaver,  completing  the  sum  of  four  hundred 
and  eighty-four  of  the  same  received  as  the  price  of 
a  piece  of  tapestry;  height  5^  yards  by  5^  yards, 
woven  with  gold,  silk,  and  yarn  in  which  is  repre- 
sented the  Resurrection  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
the  design  of  Francesco  Romanelli,  making  in  all  30^ 
yards  at  sixteen  scudi  the  yard." 

In  1737  the  Medici  factory  in  Florence  came  to 
an  end  with  the  death  of  the  last  of  the  family  and 
the  weavers  went  to  Naples  and  established  a  factory 
that  lasted  until  the  French  conquest  in  1799.     In 





HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  225 

1758  Pietro  Durante  was  manager  of  the  high-warp 
looms  and  in  1761  Michele  Angelo  Cavanna  of  the 
low-warp  looms.  Among  tapestries  woven  were  the 
Elements,  after  Lebrun,  the  Consecration  of  the 
Virgin,  the  Story  of  Don  Quixote,  the  apotheosis  of 
Charles  III.  One  of  the  last  pieces  woven  was  signed 
DESIDERIO  DI  ANGELIS  1796. 

The  manufacture  of  tapestries  in  Rome  was  re- 
vived in  1710,  at  the  Hospital  San  Michele,  by  Pope 
Clement  XI,  with  Jean  Simonet  of  Paris  as  manager, 
and  Andrea  Procaccini  as  art  director.  From  171 7 
to  1770  the  manager  was  Pietro  Ferloni  whose 
signature  P.  FERLONI  F.  ROMAE  appears  on 
one  of  the  Jerusalem  Liberated  tapestries  belonging 
to  the  Metropolitan  Museum. 

High-warp  looms  active  in  Rome  to-day  are  those 
of  San  Michele,  and  of  Erulo  Eroli  who  has  woven 
tapestries  for  the  city  of  Rome  that  are  illustrated 
in  Rossi  Arazzo. 

GERMAN   LOOMS 

German  tapestry  looms  were  among  the  first  to 
become  active,  as  we  have  already  seen  in  the  chapter 
on  Gothic  Tapestries.  But  no  German  city  ever  be- 
came an  important  centre  of  tapestry-weaving. 
Among  primitive  German  tapestries — besides  the 
Saint  Gereon  and  Halberstadt  pieces — are  the  12 
pieces  at  the  Ratisbon  Rathaus  that  picture  men  and 
women  in  strange  costumes  playing  cards  or  dancing; 
the  Saint  Catherine  and  the  Apostles  tapestries  at 


226  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Saint  Laurent  in  Nuremberg;  the  one  in  the  Nurem- 
berg Museum  that  pictures  games  and  recreations 
on  the  walls  of  a  fortified  city;  the  one  in  the  Brussels 
Museum  1.14  metres  by  3.85,  that  pictures,  against 
a  verdure  background  with  long  descriptive  scrolls, 
the  Return  of  the  King,  the  Banquet,  the  Game  of 
Backgammon,  the  Visit  to  the  Hermit,  with  tiny 
scenes  from  everyday  life  beneath  the  main  scenes; 
Mr.  Morgan's  Solomon  and  the  Queen  of  Sheba, 
lent  to  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum;  the  two 
long  bands  of  tapestry  exhibited  at  the  Brussels 
Tapestry  Exposition  in  1880,  one  belonging  to  the 
Victoria  and  Albert  Museum,  the  other  to  Prince 
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen,  with  long  scrolls  in- 
scribed in  German,  one  of  which  reads:  "ForWilhelm 
loves  one  of  the  beauties,  Amely." 

In  the  Munich  Museum  are  three  large  genealogi- 
cal tapestries  that  Ott-Heinrich  had  woven  early 
in  the  XVI  century  at  his  own  factory  in  Lauingen, 
after  designs  by  M.  Gerung.  Also  in  the  Munich 
Museum,  the  Four  Seasons,  Day,  Night — six  XVII 
century  tapestries  woven  in  Munich  for  Duke 
Maximilian  I,  of  Bavaria,  by  Hans  Van  Der  Biest 
after  designs  by  Peter  Candid;  also  the  Twelve 
Months  by  the  same  masters.  During  the  XVIII 
century  a  number  of  rather  mediocre  tapestries  were 
woven  in  Munich  and  also  in  Berlin. 

A  modern  high  warp  plant  in  Germany  is  that  of 
W.  Ziesch  &  Co.,  established  in  Berlin  in  1879.  A 
booklet  published  on  the  occasion  of  the  jubilee 
celebration  of  the  XXV  anniversary  in  1904,  con- 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  227 

tains  photographic  illustrations  of  aged  tapestries 
before  and  after  repair  (See  plate  no.  319),  and  a 
colour  plate  of  a  tapestry  woven  after  a  cartoon 
by  the  historical  painter  Julius  Jiirss  for  the  Dort- 
mund Rathaus,  picturing  "the  Empress  Elizabeth 
at  the  Rathaus  Celebration  in  1378."  The  four 
scenes  are  framed  in  jewelled  Gothic  columns,  and 
the  artist  evidently  made  a  serious  attempt  to  re- 
produce the  costumes  and  atmosphere  of  the  XV 
century. 

SPANISH   LOOMS 

In  1720  Philip  V  of  Spain  encouraged  Jacques 
Vandergoten  of  Antwerp,  with  his  four  sons,  to  start 
in  Madrid  the  Santa  Barbara  factory  that  is  still  in 
operation.  The  Vandergotens  began  by  copying 
old  sets  of  tapestries  in  the  Royal  Spanish  Collection, 
among  others  the  Conquest  of  Tunis,  and  the  Story 
of  Cyrus.  Among  new  designs  one  of  the  most 
popular  was  the  Story  of  Don  Quixote,  by  Andrea 
Procaccini  from  the  San  Michele  works  in  Rome. 
But  the  reputation  of  the  Santa  Barbara  factory 
rests  mainly  on  the  92  tapestries  woven  in  the  last 
quarter  of  the  XVIII  century  from  the  45  cartoons 
of  Don  Francisco  de  Goya  (See  Goya  Tapices). 

Goya's  tapestries  are  all  characteristic  pictures 
of  contemporary  Spanish  life.  Among  these  illus- 
trated in  half-tone  by  Albert  F.  Calvert  in  his  "Es- 
corial"  London,  1907,  are:  the  Gardens  of  Buen 
Retiro,  Child  Riding  a  Sheep,  the  Country  Dance, 


228  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

the  Kite,  the  Washerwoman,  the  Little  Giants,  the 
Grape  Sellers,  the  Card  Players,  the  Wool  Cutters, 
the  See-Saw,  the  Reapers.  In  the  same  writer's 
"Goya"  London,  1908,  are  illustrated  many  of 
Goya's  tapestry  cartoons  that  are  preserved  in  the 
Prado.  The  cartoons  are  interesting  to  compare 
with  the  tapestries,  as  those  that  were  executed  on 
the  low  warp  loom  reverse  the  direction  of  the  de- 
sign. In  Calvert's  "Escorial"  are  also  illustrated 
a  number  of  tapestries  by  F.  Bayeu,  painter  to  the 
King  of  Spain  and  Goya's  master  and  father-in-law. 
The  most  interesting  is  Children  Playing  at  Bull 
Fighting. 

RUSSIAN   LOOMS 

The  Imperial  Tapestry  works,  founded  by  Peter 
the  Great  in  St.  Petersburg  in  17 16,  with  workmen 
from  Beauvais  under  Behagle  the  younger,  produced 
a  number  of  important  tapestries  in  the  XVIII 
century,  of  which  there  are  examples  in  the  Imperial 
Carriage  Museum.  The  Royal  Swedish  Collection 
has  a  number  of  tapestry  portraits  executed  on  these 
looms,  illustrated  in  Boettiger  Swedish.  For  illustra- 
tions of  Russian  tapestry  portraits  of  Catherine  the 
Great  and  Peter  the  Great,  the  former  in  the  Metro- 
politan Museum,  the  latter  in  the  Moscow  Museum 
of  Arms  and  Armour,  see  plate  no.  229.  For  history 
of  these  works  that  suspended  operation  in  the  middle 
of  the  XIX  century,  see  Spiliotti  Russian,  who  also 
gives  a  descriptive  list  of  the  tapestries  produced. 


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230  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

PEASANT  TAPESTRIES 

An  idea  of  the  extent  to  which  tapestry  weaving 
— of  a  rustic  but  not  uninteresting  type — has  been 
taken  up  by  museums  and  arts-and-crafts  associa- 
tions in  different  parts  of  Europe,  particularly  in 
Norway  and  Sweden,  can  be  got  from  the  fact  that 
for  exhibits  of  picture  tapestries  at  the  Paris  Ex- 
position of  1900,  gold  or  silver  medals  were  awarded 
to: 

The  Akteselskalbet  of  Christiania,  Norway,  for 
tapestries  woven  by  Madame  Frida  Hansen  (See 
plate  no.  231).  The  jury  commented  particularly  on 
Madame  Hansen's  openwork  portieres. 

The  Art  Industry  Museum  of  Trondhjem,  Nor- 
way, for  tapestries  designed  by  M.  Gerhard  Munthe, 
and  woven  by  Mile.  Augusta  Christiansen. 

The  Handarbetets  Vanner  (Friends  of  Hand- 
work) of  Stockholm,  Sweden,  with  special  mention 
of  a  large  tapestry  designed  by  the  famous  painter 
Carl  Larssen. 

The  City  of  Pirot  in  Servia. 

The  Textile  School  of  Scherrebeck  in  Schleswig- 
Holstein,    Germany. 

The  Misses  Brinkman  of  Hamburg,  German}'. 

The  Society  for  the  Encouragement  of  House 
Industry  of  Presburg,  Hungary. 

Madame  Kovalski  of  Torental,  Hungary. 

The  Finnish  Society  of  Friends  of  the  Manual 
Arts,  of  Helsingfors,  Finland. 

The  Roumanian  textile  exhibit. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

The  Texture  of  Tapestries 

Arras  Tapestries.     Greek  and  Roman  Tapestries.    High  Warp 
and  Low  Warp.     The  Process  of  Weaving 

Arras  tapestries  have  a  more  wonderful  and 
fascinating  texture  than  any  other  material.  I  say 
arras  tapestries  because  I  wish  definitely  to  limit 
the  statement  to  wall  hangings  with  horizontal 
woven  ribs  in  relief,  and  vertical  hatchings  (hach- 
ures),  in  colour — the  type  developed  and  made 
famous  in  French  Flanders  in  the  XIV  and  XV 
centuries,  continued  in  the  XVI  century  at  Brussels 
(in  French  Flanders  that  had  passed  under  Spanish 
control),  in  the  XVII  at  Brussels,  Mortlake,  and  the 
Gobelins;  in  the  XVIII  at  the  Gobelins,  Beauvais, 
Brussels,  and  Aubusson.  The  progress  after  the 
middle  of  the  XVI  century  was  constantly  down- 
ward. And  while  the  most  exquisite  tapestries  ever 
produced  were  woven  in  the  first  third  of  the  XVI 
century,  the  most  characteristic  ones  and  those  that, 
with  least  effort  and  most  naturally  expressed 
pictures  and  stories  in  true  tapestry  texture,  date 
from  the  XV  century. 

Arras  tapestries  are  in  their  essence  line  drawings 
formed  by  the  combination  of  horizontal  ribs  with 

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234  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

vertical  weft  threads  and  hatchings.  There  are 
no  diagonal  or  irregular  or  floating  threads  as  in 
embroideries  and  brocades.  Nor  do  any  of  the 
warp  threads  show  as  in  twills  and  damasks.  The 
surface  consists  entirely  of  fine  weft  threads  that 
completely  interlace  the  coarser  warp  threads  in 
plain  weave  (over  and  under  alternately),  and  also 
completely  cover  them  so  that  only  the  ribs  mark 
their  position — one  rib  for  each  warp  thread.  In 
other  words  every  arras  tapestry  is  a  rep  fabric. 

The  number  of  ribs — from  8  to  24  to  the  inch — 
has  much  to  do  with  the  texture.  Just  because  the 
Mazarin  tapestry  is  very  fine  (22  ribs  to  the  inch), 
and  many  cheaply  woven  tapestries  are  coarse,  there 
is  a  tendency  on  the  part  of  both  dealers  and  amateurs 
to  exalt  the  virtues  of  fineness.  This  is  a  serious 
error.  The  most  marvellous  tapestries  of  the  XV 
century  were  comparatively  coarse  (from  8  to  12 
ribs),  and  of  the  XVI  moderately  coarse  (from  10  to 
16).  For  anything  finer  than  20  in  wall  tapestries 
there  is  no  excuse,  except  perhaps  in  a  tour-de-force, 
where  the  design  is  so  complicated  and  the  figures 
so  many  and  the  weft  threads  so  fine,  that  by  com- 
parison the  ribs  are  coarse,  and  the  texture  remains 
true  tapestry  texture — a  line  drawing. 

As  regards  materials,  there  is  also  a  vast  difference 
between  the  XV  and  later  centuries.  For  tapestries 
as  for  rugs  the  best  basic  material  is  wool,  and  it  is 
woollen  weft  on  linen  or  woollen  on  hemp  warp  that 
composes  the  body  of  the  great  Gothic  tapestries, 
whose  texture  is  enriched  with  gold  and  silver  thread 


HHHHnrcim 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  235 

to  a  warmth  and  wealth  of  colour  impossible  in  other 
materials. 

Nowadays  we  seem  to  be  too  poor  to  use  gold  and 
silver.  At  the  Gobelins  they  let  a  weaver  spend 
a  year  weaving  a  square  metre,  but  refuse  him  the 
precious  metals.  In  France,  at  the  end  of  the  XVIII 
century  as  pointed  out  in  chapter  I,  they  even 
burned  up  ancient  and  invaluable  Gothic  tapestries 
for  the  sake  of  the  gold  they  contained. 

Silk  is  the  fashion  of  the  day.  In  all  tapestries 
the  tendency  now  is  and  has  been  since  the  XVI 
century  to  use  too  much  silk.  Mortlake  and 
Gobelin  and  Brussels  tapestries  make  this  obvious. 
But  Gobelins  of  the  Louis  XIV  period,  less  than 
those  woven  since.  Many  of  the  Louis  XIV  Gobe- 
lins and  Charles  I  Mortlake  sets  were  heavy  with 
gold. 

Too  many  colours  are  used  to-day.  They  try 
to  do  in  the  dye-pot  what  ought  to  be  done  on  the 
loom.  In  the  XV  century,  15  or  20  colours  were 
enough.  In  the  Renaissance,  20  or  30.  Now  there 
are  available  at  the  Gobelins  no  less  than  14,400 
different  tones,  besides  the  20  grey  tones  called 
normals,  all  worked  out  and  developed  by  Chevreul, 
chemist  and  manager  of  the  dye-works  at  the  Gobe- 
lins in  the  XIX  century,  who  lead  the  march  in  the 
wrong  direction. 

The  movement  started  in  the  XVI  century. 
Raphael  and  his  pupils  with  their  monopoly  of  the 
ancient  mural  paintings  then  just  unearthed  in 
Rome,  set  new  problems  for  the  Flemish  weavers — 


236  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

problems  suggested  by  paint  and  easily  solved  in 
paint — but  not  at  all  suitable  for  tapestry. 

Tapestries  are  par  excellence  line  drawings.  Here- 
in lies  their  chief  virtue  and  the  moment  they  depart 
from  it,  confusion  and  uncertainty  follow.  But  the 
wonderful  genius  for  weaving  inherited  by  the 
weavers  of  the  XVI  century,  enabled  them  to 
accomplish  the  almost  impossible,  and  translate  at 
least  partially  many  of  the  extreme  shadow  effects 
of  Italian  Renaissance  painters. 

I  have  no  quarrel  with  these  painters.  Far  from 
it.  Nor  with  those  who  took  up  the  Italian  tradition 
in  the  XVII  century — Rubens  and  Teniers  and 
Lebrun.  But  their  failure  to  understand  tapestry 
technique  and  their  efforts  to  compel  weavers  to 
copy  models  closely,  did  great  harm  to  the  art  of 
tapestry  weaving. 

Tapestry  texture  is  not  suited  for  the  expression 
of  large  expanses  of  nude  flesh,  open  sky  and  water, 
and  deep  shadows.  These  and  the  production  of 
illusion  by  direct  imitation  of  nature  are  the  province 
of  the  painter  and  the  photographer.  Even  when 
successfully  accomplished  on  the  loom,  the  result  is 
transitory  and  the  colours  fleeting  because  too 
delicate. 

Tapestry  texture  is  suited  for  the  presentation  on 
a  large  scale  of  richly  clothed  personages  back- 
grounded with  contrasting  patterns.  Strong  con- 
trasts of  light  and  shade  it  does  not  need  because  it 
utilises  line  contrast  to  the  utmost.  For  that  reason 
it  is  able  to  employ  strong  colours,  blending  them 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  237 

together  and  inspiring  scenes  with  life  by  hatching 
and  line  stippling. 

Tapestry  texture  is  also  suited  for  the  presenta- 
tion of  flowers  and  foliage,  and  of  the  rinceaux  and 
the  Grotesque  (miscalled  Arabesque)  ornament,  bor- 
rowed by  the  Renaissance  Italians  from  Ancient 
Rome.  Illustrations  of  the  former  are  the  Gothic 
mille-fleur  and  verdure  tapestries,  of  the  latter  the 
decorative  compositions  of  the  XVI  century  copied 
and  developed  so  skilfully  at  the  end  of  the  XVII 
century  by  Claude  Audran  and  Noel  Coypel. 

Another  form  of  patterned  background  interesting 
in  tapestry — moderately  so — are  the  damasse  and 
festooned  mats  of  Charles  Coypel's  Don  Quixote,  and 
Francois  Boucher's  Classic  Series,  at  the  Gobelins. 

The  Golden  Age  of  arras  weaving  is  the  last 
half  of  the  XV  century  and  the  first  half  of  the  XVI 
century,  while  the  Gothic  influence  was  still  power- 
ful with  the  French-Flemish  weavers  who  had  devel- 
oped and  exalted  the  art  to  the  highest  point.  Un- 
doubtedly steps  were  being  taken  in  the  right  direc- 
tion in  the  XIII  century  or  perhaps  even  earlier. 
Evidences  of  this  are  the  fragments  from  the  Church 
of  Saint  Gereon  in  Cologne,  fragments  now  preserved 
in  the  South  Kensington,  the  Lyons,  and  the  Nurem- 
berg museums.  But  of  arras  that  tells  stories,  and 
is  important  as  a  form  of  literary  expression,  we  have 
no  important  examples  earlier  than  the  XIV  century 
and  few  earlier  than  the  XV  century.  The  famous 
XI  century  Bayeux  tapestry  is  not  a  tapestry  at  all 
but  an  embroidery. 


238  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

HIGH   WARP   AND    LOW   WARP 

Tapestry  is  a  broad  word.  It  means  one  thing 
in  a  wall-paper  shop  and  another  in  a  carpet  and  rug 
store.  One  thing  among  makers  of  painted  tapestry 
and  another  among  makers  of  embroidered  tapestry. 
One  thing  among  jacquard  and  power  and  shuttle 
weavers,  another  among  manipulators  of  high  warp 
and  low  warp  looms.  There  are  also  printed  imita- 
tions of  arras  tapestries. 

By  general  consent  and  established  usage,  the 
term  real  tapestry  is  reserved  for  high  warp  and  low 
warp  products.  But  until  now  general  consent  and 
established  usage  have  not  put  into  print  a  clear 
and  comprehensive  statement  of  how  high  warp 
and  low  warp  tapestries  differ  from  other  textiles  and 
from  each  other. 

First,  as  regards  the  looms.  Both  high  warp  and 
low  warp  antedate  the  shuttle.  In  other  words 
they  use  bobbins  that  travel  only  part  way  across 
the  warp,  instead  of  shuttles  that  travel  all  the  way 
across.  The  shuttle  is  a  mechanical  invention — a 
box  or  carriage  for  the  bobbin  which  enables  it  to 
be  thrown  intead  of  passed,  thus  increasing  the 
working  range  of  the  weft. 

The  high  warp  loom  not  only  antedated  the  shuttle, 
it  also  antedated  the  treadle.  In  the  low  warp  loom, 
the  odd  threads  of  the  warp  are  attached  to  a  treadle 
worked  with  the  left  foot,  the  even  threads  of  the 
warp  to  a  treadle  worked  with  the  right  foot,  thus 
making  possible  the  manipulation  of  the  warp  with  the 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  239 

feet,  and  leaving  both  hands  free  to  pass  the  bobbins. 
In  the  high  warp  loom,  that  has  no  treadle,  the 
warps  are  manipulated  with  the  left  hand,  while 
the  right  hand  passes  the  bobbins  back  and  forth. 
The  high  warp  loom,  then,  is  all-hand  -power,  the 
low  warp  loom  hand-and-foot  power.  The  term  high 
warp  means  that  the  warp  is  strung  vertically;  low 
warp,  horizontally.  But  the  fundamental  difference 
is  the  treadles,  and  many  primitive  all-hand-power 
looms  have  a  horizontal  warp. 

The  high  warp  loom  is  not  only  the  primitive  loom 
that  naturally  developed  among  widely  separated 
peoples  for  the  figuring  of  textiles.  It  is  also  the 
loom  that  gives  the  weaver  the  most  complete  control 
over  each  point  of  his  work,  thus  putting  the  artistic 
result  up  to  him  most  completely.  What  the  low 
warp  loom  gains  in  width  of  pass,  it  loses  in  com- 
pleteness of  control,  and  in  lack  of  ability  to  watch 
the  work  from  the  other  side  as  it  progresses. 

Both  high  warp  and  low  warp  tapestries  are  woven 
with  the  wrong  side  toward  the  weaver — the  wrong 
side  that  in  all  real  tapestries  is  just  the  same  as 
the  right  side,  except  for  reversal  of  direction  (as 
in  a  mirror),  and  for  the  loose  threads  that  mark 
the  passage  of  bobbins  from  block  to  block  of  the 
same  colour  (See  colour  plate  no.  IV).  In  both 
high  warp  and  low  warp  looms,  wall  tapestries  are 
woven  on  the  side  in  order  that  the  ribs,  which  of 
course,  like  the  warps,  are  vertical  or  the  long  way 
on  the  loom,  may  be  horizontal  on  the  wall.  This 
is  a  part  of  the  technique  and  texture  of  arras  tapes- 


240  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

try,  and  not  merely  for  ease  of  weaving  as  the 
majority  of  tapestry  weavers  and  some  tapestry 
designers  seem  to  think. 

In  the  high  warp  loom,  the  outline  of  the  design 
is  traced  on  the  warp  threads  in  India  ink  from 
tracing  paper,  and  the  coloured  cartoon  hangs  be- 
hind the  weaver  where  he  consults  it  constantly. 
In  the  low  warp  loom  the  coloured  cartoon  is  usually 
beneath  the  warp  and  often  rolls  up  with  the  tapes- 
try as  it  is  completed.  But  sometimes  in  copying 
tapestries,  and  usually  at  Beauvais  where  an  im- 
proved low  warp  loom  is  used  that  can  be  tilted  up 
during  the  progress  of  the  work  tracings  of  the 
design  take  the  place  of  the  cartoon  beneath  the 
warp,  and  the  colours  are  put  in  by  the  weaver 
referring  to  a  model  behind  him.  Anciently  in  the 
low  warp  loom,  the  cartoon  was  inserted  in  narrow 
strips,  each  strip  being  removed  as  completed. 

On  the  low  warp  loom  commonly  employed,  it 
is  not  possible  to  see  the  right  side  of  the  tapestry 
until  it  is  completed  and  taken  from  the  loom.  On 
the  high  warp  loom  all  you  have  to  do  is  go  around 
in  front  of  the  loom.  Of  course,  on  both  looms, 
small  portions  of  the  right  side  of  the  tapestry  can  be 
studied  through  the  warp  with  the  aid  of  mirrors. 

Especially  worth  noting  is  the  fact  that  the  low 
warp  loom  reverses  the  direction  of  the  cartoon 
placed  beneath  its  warp.  So  that  either  the  cartoon 
must  be  painted  left-handed,  or  the  tapestry  will 
come  out  that  way. 

With  weavers  of  average  intelligence  and  modern 


■  .  ' " niffin^HUmflirii  :  ,      ;:iJwHinin««Hni)iBUHii 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  241 

training,  the  low  warp  loom  is  much  to  be  preferred, 
especially  for  the  reproduction  of  paintings  in  the 
Italian  Renaissance,  XVIII  century  French  or 
Modern  styles.  At  the  Gobelins  in  the  XVII  century 
Lebrun  preferred  high  warp  looms  for  the  first  inter- 
pretation of  his  great  Story  of  the  King,  and  his 
Royal  Residences.  If  we  ever  get  down  in  earnest 
to  the  weaving  of  modern  tapestries  in  arras  texture, 
we  shall,  like  William  Morris,  go  back  to  the  high 
warp  looms,  and  once  more  compose  line  drawings 
in  wool  and  gold  and  silver,  with  little  silk  or  none 
at  all. 

The  phrase  haute  lisse  (high  warp)  first  appears 
on  March  10,  1302,  in  an  addition  to  the  ordinances 
regulating  the  trades  of  the  city  of  Paris.  This 
addition  states  that  discord  had  arisen  between  the 
tapissiers  sarrazinois  (Saracen  tapestry-makers)  and 
another  kind  of  tapestry-makers  called  workers  on 
the  haute  lisse,  the  former  claiming  that  the  latter 
could  not  and  ought  not  to  work  in  the  city  of  Paris 
until  they  had  taken  oath  like  themselves  to  hold 
and  keep  all  the  ordinances  of  the  Guild  of  Saracen 
Tapestry  Makers,  inasmuch  as  the  two  trades  were 
similar.  They  also  claimed  that  the  haute-lisse 
workers,  not  being  organised,  escaped  the  payment 
of  fines,  so  that  the  King's  interests  suffered,  and 
also  the  interests  of  many  other  good  people,  because 
the  haute-lisse  masters  worked  by  night  and  turned 
out  in  consequence  work  that  was  "neither  good  nor 
sufficient."  In  response  to  this  complaint,  the  haute- 
lisse  masters  were  ordered  to  join  the  Guild  of  Saracen 


242  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Tapestry  Makers,  and  ten  of  the  former  (with  the 
approval  of  an  eleventh)  and  six  of  the  latter  ap- 
peared and  agreed  in  behalf  of  their  respective 
trades  to  adhere  to  all  the  provisions  of  the  ordi- 
nances. It  was  further  provided  that  the  haute-lisse 
masters  might  take  apprentices  for  a  period  of  eight 
years  and  on  payment  of  ioo  Parisian  sous  of  silver, 
but  not  for  a  less  period  or  smaller  amount,  and 
might  work  on  their  haute-lisse  looms  only  as  long 
as  they  could  see  by  daylight  without  a  candle. 
Embroidered  work  was  to  be  considered  as  false. 
And  to  see  to  the  enforcement  of  the  ordinances 
were  appointed :  one  master  from  the  trade  of  Saracen, 
or  a  la  merche  (treadle),  tapestry,  and  another  master 
from  the  haute-lisse,  or  a  la  besche  (broche),  tapestry. 
M.  Guiffrey  regards  the  tapissiers  sarrazinois  as 
makers  of  pile  rugs  after  the  Oriental  fashion.  It  is 
with  great  hesitation  that  I  venture  to  differ  from 
such  an  eminent  authority,  but  I  find  it  impossible 
to  accept  his  view  although  many  others  have 
accepted  it.  I  agree  with  him  that  the  tapissiers 
nostrez  (our  tapestry-makers)  named  in  the  ordi- 
nances compiled  about  1250  by  Etienne  Boileau, 
Mayor  of  Paris,  in  his  Livre  des  Metiers,  are  weavers 
of  coarse  twills,  ingrains,  and  other  shuttle  fabrics, 
plain  and  patterned,  for  covering  floors  and  walls  and 
furniture.  But  the  tapissiers  sarrazinois  I  believe 
to  be  makers  of  treadle  (that  is  to  say  low-warp) 
tapestry,  as  is  distinctly  stated  in  the  addition  to 
the  ordinances  quoted  from  and  summarised  above. 
The    phrase    a    la    besche    tapestry    that    is    stated 


— ' — ' — ..■.■.!1..-!..-..^:.....i.^TVfV*v  ,  '"^  T^t— yTT:"TTT:'T:":T"i  *-I1Ij]; 


HISTORY   AND   RENAISSANCE  243 

to  be  synonymous  with  haute-lisse  tapestry  I  also 
regard  as  very  interesting  and  significant.  While 
the  most  obvious  difference  in  the  appearance  of 
high-warp  and  low-warp  looms  depends  upon  the 
vertical  position  of  the  warp  of  the  former  as  com- 
pared with  the  horizontal  position  of  the  warp  of  the 
latter,  the  real  and  fundamental  difference  depends 
upon  the  fact  that  the  low-warp  loom  has  treadles 
and  the  high-warp  has  not,  and  also  that  the  bobbin 
of  the  high-warp  loom  {broche  it  is  called  at  the 
Gobelins)  is  pointed  for  use  in  pressing  home  the 
weft,  while  the  flute,  as  it  is  called  at  Beauvais  (flute 
or  bobbin  elsewhere),  of  the  low-warp  loom  is  blunt 
and  is  not  used  as  a  tool.  Besche  I  take  it  (without 
elaborating  my  reasons  here)  is  the  Old  French  word 
that  corresponds  to  broche.  I  should  judge,  from  a 
careful  survey  of  the  ordinances  and  the  addition  to 
them,  that  the  haute-lisse  workers  were  new-comers 
to  Paris,  perhaps  from  French  Flanders,  or  at  least 
men  who  were  practising  a  kind  of  weaving  then  new 
to  Paris. 

Certainly  if  the  phrase  a  la  merche  (treadle) 
tapestry  used  in  the  addition  to  the  ordinances 
(but  found  only  in  the  manuscript  of  the  Bibliotheque 
Nationale,  man.  fr.  24069,  fol.  241,  and  not  in  the 
manuscript  of  the  Archives  Nationales,  KK  1336, 
fol.  145  V°)  to  describe  the  work  of  the  tapissiers 
sarrazinois,  is  a  part  of  the  original  document  or 
was  added  by  one  who  knew,  then  the  tapissiers 
sarrazinois  cannot  be  weavers  of  pile  rugs,  in  the 
Oriental    fashion.     For  the  Oriental  rug  loom    has 


244  TAPESTRIES— THEIR   ORIGIN 

a  vertical  warp  without  treadles.  At  this  point,  it 
is  interesting  to  note  that  while  the  period  of  ap- 
prenticeship of  the  Guild  of  Tapissiers  Sarrazinois 
was  eight  years  that  of  the  Guild  of  Tapissiers 
Nostrez  was  only  four;  also  that  both  Guilds  were 
restricted  to  the  use  of  woollen  thread  except  that 
the  tapissiers  nostrez  might  use  any  other  material 
in  the  selvage,  and  that  while  the  tapissiers  nostrez 
used  plain  yarn  the  tapissiers  sarrazinois  must  use 
twisted  yarn  (two  or  more  strands). 

Regarding  the  identity  of  tapissiers  sarrazinois, 
the  Flemish  phrase,  sarazinooswerkes  metier  maertse 
(Saracen  workers  with  treadle),  used  in  a  French 
charter  of  Philip  the  Good,  dated  November  5,  1441, 
to  explain  the  French  phrase  sarrazinois  tapissiers, 
is  significant,  as  is  also  the  phrase  found  in  certain 
weavers'  guild  statutes  assembled  about  1460,  dat  elc 
saergenoyswercker  werckende  up  H  ghetauwe  metier 
maertse  (that  every  Saracen  worker  working  on  the 
treadle  loom).  (For  both  references  see  page  61  of 
Pinchart  Generate.) 

When  speaking  of  Coptic  tapestries  I  should  also 
have  called  attention  to  the  Peruvian  tapestries  of 
which  there  are  important  collections  in  the  New 
York  Museum  of  Natural  History,  the  Boston  Fine 
Arts  Museum,  and  several  European  museums. 
These  Peruvian  tapestries,  exhumed  like  the  Coptics 
from  ancient  graves,  date  from  probably  the  XVI 
century,  though  some  of  them  may  be  earlier.  Like 
the  Coptics  they  were  woven  on  small  looms  or 
frames,  with  bobbins  that  were  sent  not  only  per- 


■w^  — — < ..,„.,.... 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  245 

pendicularly  across  the  warp,  but  also  twisted 
diagonally  around  pairs  of  warps  to  outline  figures 
and  ornament.  An  interesting  feature  of  some 
Peruvian  tapestries  is  the  introduction  of  open-work 
loose  weave  in  parts.  This  suggests  the  open-work 
backgrounds  of  some  Norwegian  tapestries  ancient 
and  modern. 

Other  real  tapestries  coarsely  figured — some  ribbed 
and  some  with  such  large  coarse  soft  weft  that  the 
surface  is  flat — are  Navajo  blankets,  Mexican  serapes, 
Oriental  kelims,  etc.,  etc. 

THE   PROCESS   OF  WEAVING 

The  process  of  tapestry  weaving  is  most  interest- 
ing. The  loom  and  tools  necessary  are  surprisingly 
simple.  In  fact  for  a  tiny  tapestry  a  square  em- 
broidery frame  with  needles  and  comb  is  sufficient. 
But  for  large  tapestries  a  powerful  loom  is  needed 
to  withstand  the  strain  of  hundreds  of  taut  warp 
threads.  One  of  the  earliest  forms  of  the  tapestry 
loom  had  the  warp  threads  attached  to  a  roller 
above  and  individually  weighted  below  to  keep  them 
taut.  This  was  the  Homeric  loom  and  also  the 
primitive  Scandinavian  loom.  It  was  extremely 
slow  and  inconvenient.  The  so-called  high  warp 
loom  with  two  rollers,  one  below  as  well  as  one  above, 
was  a  great  improvement.  On  the  high  warp  loom 
the  left  hand  separates  the  warp  threads  to  form  the 
shed  through  which  the  right  hand  must  guide  the 
weft  spool  or  bobbin. 


246  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Finally  it  occurred  to  some  unknown  genius  to 
set  the  feet  at  work.  He  tipped  the  old  loom  over 
into  a  horizontal  position,  and  accomplished  the 
separation  of  the  warp  threads  by  means  of  two 
treadles.  This  left  both  hands  free  to  manipulate 
the  bobbins. 

The  use  of  the  low  warp  loom  has  been  general 
since  the  beginning  of  the  XVI  century.  In  the 
XVII  century,  it  was  used  exclusively  at  Mortlake 
in  England,  and  at  the  works  established  in  Paris 
by  Henri  IV.  At  the  Gobelins  the  haute  lisse  and 
basse  lisse  worked  side  by  side  in  friendly  rivalry 
during  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV,  and  until  1825,  when 
the  low  warp  looms  were  sent  to  the  other  Govern- 
ment tapestry  works  at  Beauvais.  According  to 
Monsieur  E.  Gerspach,  in  his  '  Tapisseries  des 
Gobelins  ' '  published  in  1 893 :  ' '  The  haute  lisse  was  re- 
tained at  the  Gobelins,  doubtless  because  it  presented 
a  better  appearance  and  being  used  only  at  the  Gobe- 
lins, they  did  not  wish  to  entirely  discard  a  method 
handed  down  from  antiquity." 

A  visit  to  the  tapestry  works  at  Williamsbridge, 
in  New  York  City,  is  most  interesting.  Here  in 
a  city  that  is  crowded  with  machinery  and  steam 
engines  and  electric  motors,  and  in  a  country  that,  on 
account  of  its  success  with  machinery,  has  neglected 
things  artistic,  we  find  what  has  not  unjustly  been 
called  "the  most  important  art  industry  in  America." 
Here  there  are  no  noisy  pulleys  and  creaking  shafts 
to  deafen  the  ear.  Here  everything  is  done  by  hand, 
and    quiet    reigns    though    industry    thrives.     The 


a:^ 


n^nn^iiii^ii^iiiir^^iwuiMiBiniiir^iiiii^i! 


TAPESTRY  LOOM 

PLATE  no.  247.     Above,  miniature  model  of  a  Williamsbridge  loom.     Below,  from  the  weaver's  point  of  view, 
showing  pillows,  bobbins,  small  comb,  large  comb,  awl,  scissors. 


248  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

number  of  looms  is  36,  and  each  loom  accommodates 
from  two  to  four  weavers.  Of  the  general  form  and 
principal  parts  of  the  loom,  the  illustration  of  the 
model  on  plate  no.  247  gives  a  good  idea. 

The  warp  consists  of  parallel  tightly  spun  threads  of 
wool  or  cotton  wound  around  the  two  rollers.  The 
nearerrollerisheld  by  a  ratchet  wheel.  The  other  roller 
is  held  by  friction  against  the  lashed-together  cross- 
bars. This  primitive  and  ancient  method  is  superior 
to  any  that  moderns  have  been  able  to  devise,  giving 
evenness  of  tension  combined  with  elasticity. 

As  the  weaving  advances  the  finished  portion  of 
the  tapestry  rolls  up  around  the  nearer  roller,  against 
which  the  weaver  leans  as  he  works.  Underneath 
the  loom  are  the  treadles,  one  of  each  pair  to  depress 
the  odd  threads  of  the  warp,  the  other  to  depress  the 
even  threads. 

The  illustration  on  plate  no.  249  shows  the 
weavers  at  work.  The  one  in  the  foreground  is 
passing  the  bobbin  with  his  right  hand,  while  the 
thumb  of  his  left  hand  elevates  the  threads  beneath 
which  the  bobbin  passes.  The  weaver  on  the  left 
is  making  a  pass  in  the  reverse  direction,  from  left 
to  right,  and  the  bobbin  in  his  right  hand  is  clearly 
visible. 

In  front  of  each  are  two  sets  of  lisses  that  separate 
the  warp  threads  at  the  will  of  the  weaver,  as  ex- 
pressed through  the  treadles.  It  will  be  noticed 
that  of  the  two  sets  of  vertical  cords  or  lisses  in  front 
of  the  weaver  on  the  right,  the  nearer  is  raised,  lifting 
with  it  the  odd  threads  of  the  warp,  while  the  other 


mm 


Hli'.iMiUrilHifl 


O     .2 


250  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

is  depressed,  carrying  down  the  even  threads  of  the 
warp.  These  two  sets  of  lisses  being  attached  to 
opposite  ends  of  the  same  cross-piece  above,  must 
necessarily  work  in  unison,  the  pulling  down  of  one 
set  forcing  the  other  set  up.  One  set  is,  of  course, 
attached  below  to  the  weaver's  right  treadle,  the 
other  to  the  left.  For  every  thread  of  the  warp  there 
is  a  separate  lisse  or  heddle  cord,  with  eyelet  in  the 
middle  through  which  the  warp  thread  passes. 

The  manner  in  which  the  lisses  are  woven,  with 
eyelets  formed  by  cords  looping  around  each  other, 
is  very  ingenious,  and  is  illustrated  on  plate  no.  251. 
On  the  frame  is  shown  a  set  of  lisses  partially  com- 
pleted, while  hanging  at  the  right  is  a  set  of  lisses 
ready  for  use.  The  lisses  being  woven  are  so  held 
on  the  three  rods  that  their  shape  and  position 
relative  to  one  another  can  easily  be  made  out.  The 
rod  in  the  middle  passes  through  all  the  loops,  just 
as  each  warp  thread  on  the  big  loom  passes  through 
one  pair  of  loops. 

On  the  .same  plate  two  weavers  are  shown  in  the 
act  of  threading  the  warp  through  the  lisses,  one 
weaver  busying  himself  with  the  lisses  that  carry 
the  odd  warp  threads,  the  other  weaver  with  the  lisses 
that  carry  the  even  warp  threads.  The  weaver  on 
the  right  is  just  passing  a  warp  thread  through  the 
eyelet  formed  by  a  pair  of  loops,  lifting  the  lower 
loop  and  depressing  the  upper  loop.  It  will  be 
noticed  in  this  illustration  that  the  ends  of  the  warp 
threads  are  knotted  together  in  groups  of  twenty, 
making  a  series  of  loops.     A  long  brass  rod  passed 


uuinHisniffinisni 


THE  LISSES 

PLATE  no.  251.    Above,  Weaving  the  Lisses;  below,  Threading  the  Lisses.    See  chapter  VIII  under  the  Process 
of  Weaving. 


252  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

through  these  loops  attaches  them  firmly  to  the  big 
roller,  in  a  slot  of  which  they  are  held  as  shown  in 
the  illustration  of  the  model  loom  on  plate  no.  247. 

The  tools  of  the  weaver  are  few  and  simple — 
spool,  bobbin,  mirror,  awl,  heavy  comb  of  ivory  or 
boxwood  with  long  teeth  close  together;  small 
metal  comb,  or  grattoir,  with  tiny  teeth  far  apart. 
The  pillow  softens  the  hardness  of  the  roller  for  the 
weaver  as  he  leans  against  it  (See  plate  no.  247). 

"But  where,  "  the  reader  familiar  with  the  Raphael 
cartoons  at  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum  in 
South  Kensington,  is  probably  asking,  "where  are 
the  painted  models  that  the  weavers  follow?"  That 
I  was  unable  to  secure  a  photograph,  showing  the 
cartoon  in  position  on  the  loom,  I  regret.  The 
cartoon  though  clearly  seen  by  the  weaver  through 
the  warp,  eludes  the  photographer,  for  it  is  under  the 
loom,  just  beneath  the  warp  to  which  it  is  attached 
face  up,  while  the  tapestry  above  it  is  woven  face 
down,  so  that  the  two  faces  face  each  other.  The 
cartoon  rolls  up  as  the  completed  tapestry  rolls  up 
but  separately  from  it  and  below  it.  The  light  from 
the  sky  windows  above  illuminates  through  the 
warp  the  cartoon,  as  well  as  the  mirror  by  means  of 
which  alone  can  the  weaver  see  what  he  has  done. 

The  actual  process  of  tapestry  weaving  is  sim- 
plicity itself.  The  weaver  passes  the  bobbin  to 
the  left  as  far  as  that  particular  colour  continues  in 
the  cartoon,  beneath  the  odd  warp  threads,  nos. 
!>  3>  5.  7>  etc.,  and  back  beneath  the  even  warp 
threads.     On  its  way  out  the  bobbin  or  weft  thread 


■M"l.'l"( 


■^ 


wmmmmwm 


DYEING 

PLATE  no.  253.    The  Dye  Materials  and  the  Dyeing  Room  at  Williamsbridge.     The  Dye  Materials  illustrated  are 
madder,  cochineal,  blue  vitriol,  gall  nuts,  alum,  tartar,  indigo,  orseille,  bois  jaune. 


254  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

covers  the  lower  or  face  side  of  the  odd  threads  and 
on  its  way  back  the  face  of  the  even  threads.  Then 
with  his  comb  the  weaver  presses  the  weft  home 
firmly  against  the  part  of  the  tapestry  already 
completed.  He  is  really  embroidering,  except 
that  his  foundation  is  not  a  cloth  complete  with 
warp  and  weft,  but  a  set  of  warp  threads  only,  and 
except  that  his  stitches  are  all  parallel  to  each 
other  and  perpendicular  to  the  warp.  The  bob- 
bin is  used  as  a  matter  of  convenience  because  it 
carries  more  thread  than  a  needle.  It  is  really 
nothing  more  than  a  large  needle,  without  a 
point  because  a  point  is  unnecessary  in  low  warp 
weaving. 

The  threads  of  the  weft  are  much  finer  and  softer 
than  those  of  the  warp,  and  have  to  be  dyed  with  ex- 
treme care.  To  use  aniline  dyes,  which  are  employed 
generally  for  machine-made  textiles,  would  be  fatal 
to  the  permanence  of  the  colours  and  to  the  durability 
of  the  tapestries.  The  dye  materials  are  cochineal, 
madder,  bois  rouge,  indigo,  orseille,  bois  jaune,  alum, 
tartar,  blue  vitriol,  and  gall-nuts.  With  these 
materials,  which  are  illustrated  on  plate  no.  253, 
every  desirable  tint  and  shade  of  colour  can  be 
secured. 

To  the  life  of  tapestry  dyed  with  vegetable  dyes, 
it  is  hard  to  set  a  limit.  XVI  century  Oriental 
rugs  are  few  in  number  and  usually  much  damaged 
by  age  and  wear.  But  of  XVI  century  tapestries 
there  are  many  in  private  collections  as  well  as  in 
European  museums. 


nisiJiniJtnin^niiiiiniHniJiiiniiiniijyii 


CHAPTER  IX 

Designs  and  Cartoons 

Portraits  in  Tapestries.      Counterfeit  Arras.      Animals 
in  Tapestries.      Verdures 

The  best  tapestry  designs  for  a  century  and  a 
half — I  almost  wrote  three  centuries — are  those 
produced  by  Burne-Jones  and  Morris  and  Dearie 
for  the  works  at  Merton  (See  chapter  IX).  The 
division  of  labour  was  an  important  feature.  The 
figures  were  by  Burne-Jones,  the  grounds  and  borders 
and  colour  schemes  by  Morris  and  Dearie.  Each 
did  what  he  knew  best — Burne-Jones  the  creative 
composition  and  personages,  his  two  associates  the 
ornament  and  foliage.  What  was  most  significant 
of  all,  the  interpretation  of  the  designs  was  in  the 
hands  of  Morris  and  Dearie — the  practical  weavers 
— from  beginning  to  end.  There  was  no  attempt 
to  express  in  wool  and  silk  what  can  be  expressed 
only  in  paint. 

Burne-Jones  prepared  drawings  15  or  20  inches 
high  from  actual  figure  studies.  These  slightly 
tinted  drawings  were  enlarged  by  photography  and 
submitted  to  him,  together  with  small  colour  sketches 
prepared  by  Morris  and  Dearie.  On  the  photographic 
enlargements  Burne-Jones  worked  up  the  heads  and 
hands,   but  without  touching  the  ornament  at  all. 

255 


256  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Also,  in  putting  the  cartoons  and  colour  sketches 
on  the  loom,  considerable  liberty  was  allowed  to 
the  weaver  in  the  choice  and  arrangement  of  tints 
and  shading. 

This  method  I  regard  as  the  perfect  one  for  pro- 
ducing masterpieces  of  picture  tapestry.  In  essen- 
tials, it  resembles  the  method  employed  by  the 
great  Gothic  and  Renaissance  tapestry  factories. 
Then  the  petits  patrons  that  came  from  the  great 
painter  were  translated  into  grands  patrons  by 
artists  trained  in  tapestry  technique,  and  the  grands 
patrons  were  translated  into  arras  on  the  loom  by 
weavers  trained  to  substitute  tapestry  convention- 
alities for  paint  conventionalities,  under  the  direction 
of  managers  whose  reputation  and  business  success 
depended  upon  their  ability  to  produce  tapestries 
that  utilised  to  the  utmost  the  wonderful  possibilities 
of  tapestry  texture. 

Small  colour  sketches  (petits  patrons)  of  the  kind 
used  in  the  XV  century,  are  those  illustrating  the 
Trojan  War  (See  chapter  XII),  now  in  the  Louvre, 
from  which  were  produced  the  Bayard  and  Aulhac, 
and  Zamora  Trojan  War  tapestries.  Large  colour 
cartoons  (grands  patrons)  are  the  Toiles  Peintes  of 
Reims  (See  Reims  Peintes  in  chapter  XV),  the 
Raphael  Cartoons  in  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum 
(See  chapter  III),  and  Mantegna's  Triumphs  of 
Caesar  at  Hampton  Court. 

That  the  nine  paintings  of  the  XV  century  Italian 
artist  Mantegna  were  what  they  look  like — cartoons 
for  tapestry — is  clear  from  a  letter  dated  December 


"T 


SAINT     LUKE 

PLATE  no.  257.  Saint  Luke  Painting  the  Virgin.  Late  Gothic  tapestry  in  the  Louvre  after  the  painting  of  Rogier 
Van  Der  Weyden  in  the  Munich  Museum,  of  which  there  is  a  duplicate  in  the  Boston  Fine  Arts  Museum.  The  tapestry 
reverses  the  direction  of  the  painting  (with  the  necessary  modification  of  St.  Luke's  hands),  and  is  much  richer  in 
details,  mostly  such  as  were  often  added  by  tapestry  weavers  of  the  period.  Note  the  name  S.  lucas  on  the  scroll  behind 
the  patron  saint  of  painters. 


258  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

27,  1519,  received  by  the  famous  Venetian  amateur 
Marc-Antonio  Michiel  from  his  correspondent  in 
Rome,  and  quoted  on  page  5  of  Muentz  Vatican. 
The  letter  says  in  part : 

"They  [the  seven  Acts  of  the  Apostles  tapestries 
just  finished  and  first  shown  the  day  before]  were 
adjudged  to  be  the  most  beautiful  work  of  the  kind 
ever  done  up  to  our  time,  in  spite  of  the  fame  of 
other  tapestries — those  in  the  ante-chamber  of  Pope 
Julius  II,  those  of  the  Marquis  of  Mantua  after  the 
cartoons  of  Mantegna,  and  those  of  the  kings 
Alphonse  and  Frederick  of  Naples." 

The  Triumphs  of  Caesar  was  considered  to  be 
Mantegna's  masterpiece  not  only  by  his  contempo- 
raries and  posterity  but  also  by  Mantegna  himself. 
In  a  letter  from  Rome  dated  January  31,  1489 — 
quoted  in  part  on  page  272  of  the  English  edition  of 
Paul  Kristeller's  Andrea  Mantegna,  London,  1901 — 
he  commends  the  paintings  to  the  especial  care  of 
the  Marquis  of  Mantua  and  asks  "that  the  windows 
be  mended  so  that  they  may  take  no  harm,  for 
truly  I  am  not  ashamed  of  having  made  them,  and 
hope  to  make  more  if  God  and  your  Excellency 
please."  The  Marquis  answered  on  February  25: 
"We  would  remind  you  that  you  still  have  work 
here  to  finish  for  us,  and  especially  the  Triumphs, 
which,  as  you  say,  are  a  worthy  work  and  which  we 
should  willingly  see  completed."  He  adds  that 
arrangements  have  been  made  for  their  preservation, 
because  he  is  himself  proud  of  having  them  in  his 
house. 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  259 

They  were  shown  to  distinguished  guests,  among 
them  Duke  Hercules  of  Ferrara  in  i486,  and  to 
Giovanni  di  Medici  in  1494. 

In  1492  Mantegna  was  presented  with  a  large 
country  estate  "for  the  admirable  works  he  had 
painted  in  the  chapel  and  in  the  chamber  of  the 
castle,  and  for  the  Triumphs  of  Caesar  he  is  now 
painting  for  us  in  pictures  which  almost  live  and 
breathe.  As  once  in  antiquity  Hiero  gained  lustre 
from  Archimedes,  Alexander  from  Apelles  and 
Lysippus,  Augustus  from  Vitruvius,  so  now  has 
the  house  of  Gonzaga  attained  undying  renown  by 
the  works  of  Mantegna,  and  wishes  on  that  account 
to  reward  the  artist  with  princely  generosity." 

Over  a  century  later,  in  an  inventory  of  1627,  the 
paintings  are  named  as  being  in  the  Galleria  della 
Mostra,  and  they  are  valued  at  150  scudi  each, 
altogether  8,100  lire.  In  that  year  Daniel  Nys 
bought  from  the  Duke,  for  68,000  Mantuan  scudi, 
works  of  art  to  enrich  the  collections  of  King  Charles 
I  of  England.  He  was  much  censured  because  the 
Triumphs  was  not  among  them  and  opened  fresh 
negotiations.  The  Duke  held  off  at  first  and  de- 
manded 20,000  doubloons,  "a  clear  sign  that  he  did 
not  wish  to  part  with  them."  Finally  he  let  them 
go  to  Nys,  together  with  a  number  of  statues,  for 
£10,500.  King  Charles  was  not  pleased  with  the 
bargain  and  held  up  the  bills  until  May  15,  1629, 
when  Nys  received  the  Lord  Treasurer's  promise 
to  pay  and  a  command  to  send  the  objects  purchased 
from  Venice  to  England  by  ship.     The  nine  cartoons 


260  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

were  valued  by  the  Commonwealth,  in  1 651,  at 
£1,000  and,  like  the  Raphael  cartoons,  were  selected 
by  Cromwell  for  the  decoration  of  Hampton  Court. 
In  1653  they  were  ordered  copied  by  Gilbert  Picker- 
ing (see  chapter  V  under  Mortlake),  and  the  tapes- 
tries woven  from  them  were  later  purchased  by 
Charles  II. 

In  the  case  of  Raphael's  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and 
Mantegna's  Triumphs  of  Ccesar,  the  grands  patrons 
appear  to  have  been  the  handiwork  of  the  painter 
himself.  But  more  often  in  the  XV  and  XVI  cen- 
turies the  artist  parted  company  with  his  designs  in 
the  form  of  petits  patrons.  Often,  too,  at  the  Gobe- 
lins the  same  procedure  was  followed,  Lebrun  making 
rough  and  incomplete  sketches  that  his  subordinates 
worked  out  in  detail  and  full  scale.  Among  XVIII 
century  instances  of  the  same  procedure  was  the  exe- 
cution by  Dumons  of  the  cartoons  from  Boucher's 
small  sketches  for  the  Chinese  set. 

The  name  "counterfeit  arras"  tells  its  own  story. 
It  was  a  cheap  substitute,  in  the  XV  and  XVI  cen- 
turies and  since,  for  real  arras — painted  or  stained, 
instead  of  woven.  It  occurs  frequently  in  inventories 
side  by  side  with  the  real  arras.  Probably  most  of 
the  counterfeit  arras  in  the  early  days  was  "grands 
patrons,"  pulled  from  the  seclusion  of  the  weaving- 
room  to  decorate  the  walls  of  rooms  and  houses  that 
could  not  afford  real  arras.  Nowadays,  ignorance 
of  processes  is  so  general  that  newspapers  and  maga- 
zines are  constantly  giving  space  to  descriptions  of 
painted  tapestry  "as  a  new  invention  calculated  to 


7TT 


wmm 


THE    NATIVITY   OF   THE   VIRGIN 

PLATE  no.  261.  The  Nativity  of  the  Virgin.  Gothic-Renaissance  tapestry  in  the  Cathedral  of  Reims, 
5.10  metres  by  4.80.  One  of  a  set  of  17  illustrating  the  Story  of  the  Virgin,  presented  to  the  Cathedral  in 
1530  by  the  Archbishop  Robert  de  Lenoncourt  whose  coat  of  arms  appears  on  all  the  tapestries,  portrait  on 
the  tapestry  that  pictures  the  Nativity  of  Our  Lord,  dedicatory  verses  on  the  one  that  pictures  the  Death  of 
the  Virgin.    More  about  the  series  in  the  chapter  on  Gothic  Tapestries. 


262  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

supersede  the  real  gobelins,"  and  a  New  York  dealer 
founded  a  business — for  a  time  very  successful — 
based  upon  the  fraud. 

Portraits  in  tapestries,  as  in  stained-glass  windows, 
have  always  been  a  favourite  way  of  associating 
donors  with  events  of  historic  and  religious  impor- 
tance. In  chapter  III  we  saw  Francois  de  Taxis 
immortalise  himself,  in  company  with  Charles  V  and 
Ferdinand  I,  in  the  Notre  Dame  du  Sablon  tapes- 
tries. In  the  Burgundian  Seven  Sacraments,  at  the 
Metropolitan  Museum,  the  donors  are  almost  cer- 
tainly the  lord  and  lady  pictured  in  the  XV  century 
Baptism  and  Marriage  scenes.  In  the  Angers  Apoc- 
alypse (See  chapter  II)  at  least  one  of  the  full-length 
figures  is  the  Duke  of  Anjou.  On  the  last  panel  of 
the  Story  of  Saint  Remi,  at  Reims  (See  chapter  II), 
appears  the  donor,  Archbishop  Robert  de  Lenon- 
court,  kneeling  before  an  altar.  On  the  tapestries 
picturing  the  Story  of  the  Virgin,  at  Beaune,  are 
portraits  of  the  two  donors. 

Very  different  these  contemporary  portraits  in 
historic  stories,  from  contemporary  portraits  in  con- 
temporary stories,  like  that  of  Francis  I  in  the  Pavia 
set  (See  chapter  XII),  and  Louis  XIV  in  the  Story 
of  the  King  (See  chapter  VI,  and  plate  no.  169 
that  pictures  Louis  XIV  visiting  the  Gobelins),  or 
the  equestrian  portrait  of  Charles  VIII  in  the 
Schickler  Collection,  illustrated  in  Guiffrey  Seizieme, 
that  bears  the  Latin  inscription:  Carolus  invicti 
Ludovici  filius  ollim  Parthenopem  domuit  saliens 
sicut  Hannibal. 





!iw!ft»nimnni3tim9M 


264  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Immensely  interesting  are  the  animals  so  generally- 
introduced  into  Gothic  and  Flemish  Renaissance 
picture  tapestries.  In  verdures,  of  course,  like  the 
Lady  with  the  Unicorn  set  at  the  Cluny  Museum, 
we  might  naturally  expect  dogs  and  rabbits  and 
monkeys  and  foxes  and  birds,  in  addition  to  the 
lion  and  the  unicorn.  It  is  the  casual  introduction 
of  an  animal  like  the  squirrel  in  the  Esther  and 
Ahasuerus  scene  of  the  Mazarin  tapestry,  or  the  dog 
so  often  used  to  fill  out  foregrounds,  to  which  I 
would  call  particular  attention. 

Gothic  verdures  with  personages  were  one  of  the 
most  delightful  forms  of  story-telling  art.  Ground 
and  figures  alike  were  alive  with  action  and  interest. 
There  was  no  spotting  of  high-lights,  as  in  the 
Renaissance  and  later  verdures,  for  the  production 
of  which  Audenarde  and  Enghien  became  known. 
Gothic  verdures  were  actual  forests,  backgrounding 
animals  and  personages.  Renaissance  verdures  en- 
larged the  verdure  and  shaded-leaf  details  toward 
realism  in  such  a  way  as  to  produce  the  effect  of 
complete  artificiality  and  formal  pattern.  Of  Gothic 
verdures  the  Baillee  des  Roses  at  the  Metropolitan 
Museum,  is  a  fair  example;  of  Renaissance  ver- 
dures the  two  "cabbage-leaf"  panels  framed  in  glass 
at  the  head  of  the  stairs  in  the  Decorative  Arts 
Wing,  and  the  very  interesting  Children  Playing 
verdures  made  in  Enghien,  one  of  which  is  illus- 
trated on  plate  no.  265. 

Verdures  of  the  XVIII  century  and  modern  type 
— "  leaf-and-flower  pieces  used  to  eke  out  a  set  of 


■■in in' Him ii    i  'ii'iiiiiiiii  mi  urn 


266  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

figure-pieces"  (See  chapter  V,  under  Merton) — 
are  hardly  worth  doing  at  all  in  tapestry.  The  same 
effect  can  be  got  at  less  cost  by  printing  wall-paper 
or  cretonne,  or  by  maching-weaving.  William  Mor- 
ris said:  "Tapestry  is  not  fit  for  anything  but  figure- 
work."  I  should  amend  this  to  read:  "Tapestry 
is  particularly  suited  for  figure-work  with  decorative 
borders,  and  for  furniture-coverings." 


r_ _  _     "HIPTCftr.HjCTJH^^ 


CHAPTER  X 

Tapestry  Signatures  and  Makers 

Tapestry  Captions.      Tapestry  Borders.      Tapestry  Shapes 
and  Sizes  and  Measurements 

The  majority  of  Gothic  tapestries  are  anonymous 
as  regards  both  maker  and  designer.  It  was  a  rare 
bit  of  good  fortune — and  brilliant  investigative  work 
on  the  part  of  M.  Jules  GuifTrey — that  determined 
for  us  the  names  of  Nicolas  Bataille  and  Hennequin 
de  Bruges  as  authors  of  the  Angers  Apocalypse. 
Seldom  do  we  find  woven  signatures  like  that  of 
Pierrot  Fere  in  the  Saint  Piat  and  Saint  Eleuthere 
set  at  Tournai  (See  chapter  II);  or  an  inscription 
that  gives  the  place  of  manufacture  like  that  on  the 
last  of  the  set  of  fourteen,  made  for  a  church  in 
Salins  (Jura),  picturing  the  life  and  miracles  of  Saint 
Anatoile.  The  inscription  comes  down  to  us  in  an 
inventory  dated  1646,  only  two  of  the  set  being  still 
preserved  in  the  Salins  Museum,  and  a  third  in  the 
Museum  of  the  Gobelins,  the  rest  having  been  des- 
troyed in  1793.  The  inscription  reads:  "These 
fourteen  pieces  of  tapestry  were  at  Burges  [Bruges] 
made  and  constructed  in  the  year  of  incarnation 
according  to  our  usage  1501 — and  were  for  Saint 
Anatoile,  Bishop  of  Constantinople,  son  of  the  King 
of  Scotland."     The  inscription  in  the  bottom  border 

267 


268  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

of  the  Davillier  Triumph  of  the  Virgin  at  the  Louvre 
(See  plate  no.  269),  gives  only  the  date  ACTU(M) 
A(O)  1485  (Made  in  the  year  1485).  Sometimes,  by 
comparison  with  attributed  paintings,  we  are  able  to 
identify  the  designer,  as  in  the  case  of  the  "Saint 
Luke  Painting  the  Virgin"  tapestry  at  the  Louvre, 
which  is  after  Rogier  Van  Der  Weyden's  painting  in 
Munich — but  reversed,  and  with  more  decorative  de- 
tails— of  which  there  is  a  duplicate  in  the  Boston 
Fine  Arts  Museum.  There  also  appears  to  be  no 
doubt  that  the  two  Herkinbald  tapestry  scenes  at 
Berne  were  woven  from  the  paintings  executed  by 
Van  Der  Weyden  for  the  Brussels  City  Hall,  and 
destroyed  by  the  bombardment  in  1695. 

With  the  Renaissance  began  the  custom,  in 
Brussels  and  other  Flemish  cities,  of  weaving  the 
mark  of  the  city  into  the  bottom  selvage,  and  the 
monogram  of  the  weaver  into  the  side  selvage,  on 
the  right.  This  custom  was  confirmed  by  a  Brussels 
ordinance  of  1528,  and  by  the  edict  of  Charles  V 
in  1544,  that  applied  to  the  whole  of  the  Netherlands. 

The  following  are  a  few  characteristic  marks  and 
monograms: 


W 


BUB 


Willem  Van   Pannemaker,  Brussels  XVI  century. 
Willem  Van  Geubels,  Brussels  XVI  century. 
Brussels  mark. 


""':' 


imm 


£  .9  2  «  to 

JB    g  "S  fl 


270  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

P<^  Paris  mark,  first  half  XVII  century. 

T^On)  Brussels  mark. 

T^  Mark  of  Nancy  in  Lorraine. 

X*  Frans  Van  Geubels,  Brussels  XVI  century 

X  Martin  Reymbouts,  Brussels  late  XVI  century 

MA 


W 


Marc  Cretif,  Brussels  XVI  century. 


Oudenarde  mark. 


Qv»/b     Brussels  mark. 


Ian  Raes,  early  XVII  century. 


H  WD  Mark  of  Dclft  in  Holland- 


w 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  271 

Hans  Van  Der  Biest,  Munich  XVII  century. 


f*  BIO  j^    Enghien  mark. 
Y%\[        Philip  Van  Der  Cammen,  late  XVI  century. 

f\J        Antoine  Leyniers,  Brussels  late  XVI  century. 


Mortlake  mark,  with  monogram  of  Philip 
de  Maecht  on  the  left,  and  of  Sir  Francis 
Crane  on  the  right. 


$ 


Modern  Gobelin  mark. 


P 

Mark  of   the    Baumgarten    works    at    Williams- 
PS  bridge,  with  date  below  the  shield. 

fa 

w 

/T*         Alexandre    de    Comans,    Paris,     first    half    XVII 


Nicolas  Karcher,  Florence  XVI  century. 


Mortlake  mark,  the  shield  of  Saint  George. 


century. 


272  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 


X 

m 


Charles     de    Comans,     Paris,     first     half     XVII 
century. 

Philip   de    Maecht,    Paris    and    Mortlake,  XVII 
century. 


Tournai  mark. 


jCfr^    Ian  Van  Der  Cammen,  last  half  XVI  century. 

Unfortunately  a  majority  of  the  monograms  have 
not  yet  been  identified,  and  no  exhaustive  compara- 
tive study  of  them  has  been  made.  So  that  the 
presence  of  a  monogram  is  not  as  helpful  now  as  it 
may  become  later.  The  custom  of  signing  mono- 
grams lasted  a  little  over  a  century — roughly  until 
1635 — when  initials  and  full  names  in  Roman  letters 
took  their  place.     Some  of  the  later  signatures  are: 

JAN  PERMENTERS.  Brussels  second  half 
XVII  century. 

I.  V.  ZEUNEN  (or  I.  V.  Z.).  Brussels  XVII 
century. 

V.  LEYNIERS(UrbainLeyniers).  XVII  century. 

D.    LEYNIERS.     Brussels  XVIII  century. 

MA.  RO.  (Matthew  Roelants).  Brussels  XVII 
century. 

I.    LIEMANS.     Brussels  XVII  century. 

I.  V.  BRVGGHEN.     Brussels  XVII  century. 

PEETER.  VANDER.  BERGHEN.  Brussels 
XVII  century. 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  273 

M.    PROVOOST.     Brussels  XVII  century. 

A.   V.    DRIES.     Brussels  XVII  century. 

M.  WAUTERS  (or  M.W.).     XVII  century. 

BESNIER  ET  OUDRY.  A  BEAUVAIS.  Sig- 
nature of  the  artist  Oudry  and  the  manager  Besnier 
at  Beauvais,  first  half  of  the  XVIII  century. 

D.  M.  BEAUVAIS  (De  Menou).  Beauvais  last 
half  XVIII  century. 

P.  FERLONI.  F.  ROJVLE  MDCCXXXIX 
(P.  Ferloni  made  at  Rome  in  1739). 

JAN  LEYNIERS.  Brussels  second  half  XVII 
century. 

EVER/ERT  LEYNIERS.  Brussels  second  half 
XVII  century. 

H.  REYDAMS.  Brussels  second  half  XVII 
century. 

P.    V.    D.    BORGHT.     Brussels  XVIII  century. 

G.  PEEM ANS  (or  G.  P.) .    Brussels  XVI I  century. 

D.   EGGERMANS.     Brussels  XVII  century. 

IUDOCUS.  DE.  VOS.  Brussels  Early  XVIII 
century. 

G.  V.  D.  STREECKEN.     Brussels  XVII  century. 

GUILLAM.  VAN  LEEFDAEL.  Brussels  XVII 
century. 

COZETTE,  1765.     Gobelins. 

AUDRAN,  1771.     Gobelins. 

NEILSON    EX.     Gobelins  XVIII  century. 

I  AC.  D.  L.  RIV.  (Jacques  de  la  Riviere).  Rome 
XVII  century 

BEHAGLE  (Philip  Behagle).  Beauvais  last 
half  XVII  century. 


274  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

An  important  feature  of  many  story-tapestries  are 
the  captions.  In  the  long,  narrow  bands  of  the  XIV 
and  XV  centuries,  they  are  often  on  scrolls  that 
frame  the  personages  (See  plate  no.  329).  On  many 
of  the  immense  XV  century  panels,  there  are  in- 
scriptions at  the  bottom  in  Latin  or  French,  with 
names  and  other  inscriptions  in  the  field  of  the 
tapestry.  In  Renaissance  historical  and  Biblical 
sets,  the  Latin  captions  usually  occupied  the  middle 
of  the  top  border.  In  the  XVII  century,  cartouches 
occupied  the  middle  of  the  top  border  and  bottom 
border,  the  top  cartouche  carrying  a  coat  of  arms 
or  a  shadow  oval,  the  bottom  cartouche  the  descrip- 
tive caption,  with  sometimes  another  inscription  in 
the  side  border.  An  extreme  example  of  long  in- 
scriptions is  Charles  V's  Tunis  set,  with  Spanish  in 
the  top  border,  and  Latin  in  the  bottom  border. 
On  the  whole,  captions  tended  to  disappear  from  the 
panel  of  tapestries  with  the  approach  of  the  Renais- 
sance, and  altogether  with  the  increased  dominance 
of  paint  style  in  the  XVII  century.  But  a  very 
pleasing  feature  of  Charles  Coypel's  XVIII  century 
Don  Quixote  series  are  the  descriptive  captions  in 
the  lower  part  of  the  panel. 

Tapestry  borders  in  the  XIV  century,  there  were 
none,  and  in  the  XV  century,  few  before  the  last 
quarter.  The  brick  wall  with  floriation  surrounding 
the  Burgundian  Seven  Sacraments  at  the  Metropoli- 
tan Museum  is  a  noteworthy  exception.  About  1475 
narrow  verdure  borders  became  the  fashion,  and  re- 
mained in  vogue  for  half  a  century.     Compartment 


^raiiMraiaii 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  275 

borders  were  first  introduced  by  Raphael's  Acts  of 
the  Apostles,  the  best  examples  of  these  borders 
being  in  the  Royal  Spanish  Collection  (See  plate 
no.  89),  and  in  the  Mercury  and  Herse  tapestries 
belonging  to  Mr.  Blumenthal  and  the  Duchess  of 
Denia.  Renaissance  borders  were  much  wider  than 
those  that  preceded,  and  were  especially  rich  in 
flowers  and  fruit  and  animal  motifs.  A  splendid  ex- 
ample is  the  border  of  the  Roman  Colosseum  in  the 
Metropolitan  Museum,  with  birds  in  the  top  border, 
fish  in  the  bottom  border,  and  field  and  forest  animals 
in  the  side  borders. 

Of  Renaissance  borders  I  am  tempted  to  say  that 
often  they  are  almost  as  interesting  as  Gothic  ver- 
dure tapestries. 

With  the  XVII  century  borders  began  to  be 
heavily  shaded  in  imitation  of  frames  carved  in  relief. 
To  be  sure,  there  had  been  inside  shadows  on  two 
sides  of  the  panel  of  some  Renaissance  tapestries, 
but  it  took  Francis  Cleyn — and  Mortlake  dyes  that 
have  blackened  with  time — to  show  how  far  this 
shadow  tendency  could  be  carried.  At  the  Gobelins, 
too,  they  liked  to  show  ornament  in  relief,  and 
Gobelin  XVII  century  colours — the  shadow  colours — 
also  darkened  with  time,  but  less  than  the  Mortlake 
ones.  The  Gobelin  borders  of  the  XVII  and  XVIII 
century  are  very  distinctive  and  almost  exclusively — 
after  the  first  brilliant  period  under  Lebrun — com- 
paratively narrow  and  not  very  interesting  woven 
reproductions  of  gilt  wooden  frames. 

In  the  XVIII  century,  tapestries  became  smaller 


276  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

and  more  intimate  than  in  the  XVII  century — the 
Don  Quixote  series  taking  the  place  of  Alexander  the 
Great,  and  the  Hunts  of  Louis  XV  of  the  Story  of 
the  King.  This  was  merely  a  reversion  to  early 
precedent,  for  arras  tapestries  started  small  in  the 
XIII  century,  and  grew  large  as  skill  and  taste  de- 
veloped. In  the  XIV  and  XV  centuries  many  sets 
of  tapestry  were  woven  of  huge  size,  like  the  Angers 
Apocalypse,  though  perhaps  sometimes  in  small 
pieces  that  were  sewed  together  after  weaving.  At 
the  end  of  the  XV  and  beginning  of  the  XVI  century, 
a  multitude  of  small  tapestries  was  woven,  side  by 
side  with  lengthy  sets  of  large  pieces.  What  the 
XVI  century  could  accomplish  in  the  way  of  size, 
combined  with  perfection  of  technique,  is  illustrated 
by  Charles  V's  Conquest  of  Tunis.  In  discussing 
the  size  of  the  tapestries,  one  should  always  remem- 
ber that  small  tapestries  are  just  as  much  of  an 
anomaly  as  large  paintings.  On  a  small  scale  paint 
is  superior;  on  a  large,  tapestry.  The  best  shape  for 
tapestries  is  wide  rather  than  high. 

The  old  unit  of  tapestry  measurement  was  the 
aune  (ell).  The  French  aune  was  46^  inches  long, 
the  Flemish  ell  27  inches.  The  Flemish  ell  was  used 
not  only  in  the  Netherlands  and  England,  but  often 
by  Flemish  weavers  in  measuring  up  their  work  at 
Beauvais  and  other  French  factories.  In  changing 
from  Flemish  to  French  ells,  7  French  were  figured 
as  roughly  equal  to  12  Flemish,  and  1  French  square 
ell  as  equal  to  3  square  Flemish  ells — the  French 
square  ell  containing  48  sticks   (stocks)  or  batons, 


ITO!!WM!I 


a « (a* 


278  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

the  Flemish  square  ell  16  batons,  which  was  the 
square  unit  common  to  both  systems.  The  units 
now  in  use  are  the  English  foot  of  12  inches,  and  the 
French  metre  of  39.37  inches.  For  purposes  of  quick 
comparison  multiply  the  number  of  metres  by  3K 
to  get  feet,  or  by  i7„  to  get  yards. 


.!!l!)il!!!Hl!l3I!IK 


CHAPTER  XI 

The  Bible  in  Tapestries 

Rich  and  wonderfully  interesting  are  the  tapestry 
illustrations  of  the  Bible  and  the  Lives  of  the  Saints. 
For  tapestries,  unlike  paintings,  are  best  when  large 
and  in  sets  and  crowded  with  romantic  details.  The 
mission  of  tapestries  is  story-telling. 

Tapestries  begin  at  the  beginning.  The  Creation 
is  illustrated  in  a  superb  Brussels  Late  Gothic  tapes- 
try, 13  feet  2  inches  high  by  26  feet  10  wide  (See 
plate  no.  281),  one  of  a  set  of  six  picturing  the 
Story  of  Man,  in  the  Berwick  and  Alba  Collection 
acquired  by  Baron  d'Erlanger,  and  by  him  exhibited 
at  Brussels  in  1880. 

In  the  Creation  the  Trinity  is  represented,  not  as 
Father  and  Son  with  Holy  Spirit  in  the  form  of  a 
Dove,  but  as  three  crowned,  richly  robed  and  bearded 
kings  who  all  look  exactly  alike  and  all  appear  in 
each  one  of  seven  scenes  picturing  the  Creation  and 
Fall.  In  the  middle  scene,  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
tapestry,  the  Trinity  sit  in  Majesty,  each  with  the 
Imperial  Globe  (Reichsapfel)  and  one  with  sceptre. 
In  the  other  six  scenes,  all  three  have  sceptres  only. 
On  one  side  of  the  Trinity  in  the  middle  scene  is  the 
angel  of  justice  with  sword,  on  the  other  the  angel 
of  mercy  with  lily-branch.  Behind  them  the  celestial 
choir.     The  composition  and  texture  of  the  tapestry 

279 


280  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

are  of  extraordinary  merit.  The  nature  of  the  sub- 
ject and  the  manner  of  its  treatment,  as  well  as  the 
costumes  and  flesh-tints,  compel  comparison  with  Mr. 
Morgan's  Mazarin  tapestry,  with  the  Triumph  of 
Christ  in  the  Brussels  Museum,  and  with  the  David 
and  Bathsheba  set  in  the  Cluny  Museum.  The 
border  is  a  narrow  verdure  of  the  kind  characteristic 
of  Brussels  at  the  beginning  of  the  XVI  century. 
The  tapestry  is  now  in  the  Chateau  de  Haar,  Belgium, 
where  are  also  two  others  of  the  set — the  Crucifixion 
with  Vices  and  Virtues  in  Combat,  the  Triumph  of 
Christ.  The  sixth  of  the  set,  the  Last  Judgment, 
is  in  the  Louvre.  In  the  Cathedral  of  Burgos  are 
two  tapestries  that  supplement  the  set  of  six,  thus 
making  an  original  set  of  at  least  eight.  All  are 
illustrated  in  half-tone  in  the  Burlington  Magazine 
for  January,  191 2,  by  D.  T.  B.  Wood,  who  analyses 
them  and  compares  them  most  interestingly  with 
pieces  in  the  Cathedral  of  Narbonne,  the  Vatican, 
Hampton  Court,  Knole,  and  the  Cathedral  of 
Toledo  (formerly).  There  is  a  fragment  of  the 
Creation  containing  the  middle  grouping  only,  in  a 
New  York  private  collection. 

The  Story  of  the  Garden  of  Eden  is  pictured  in  a 
set  of  Renaissance  tapestries  in  the  Florence  Tapestry 
Museum,  one  of  which  I  reproduce  on  plate  19. 
The  contrast  between  the  Creation  tapestry,  de- 
scribed above,  and  the  Eden  tapestry  is  striking. 
The  former  is  typically  Gothic  and  Flemish,  the 
latter  typically  Renaissance  and  Italian.  The  bor- 
ders also  are  characteristic. 


— ■ 


~»«-¥ 


insniaswKniRisffinssiii 


282  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Other  Old  Testament  tapestries  reproduced  in 
this  book  are:  the  Story  of  Judith  and  Holofernes, 
on  plate  no.  347 ;  a  scene  from  the  Book  of  Kings,  10 1  ; 
the  Story  of  Esther,  403;  Crossing  the  Red  Sea, 
349»  97;  Joshua  helped  by  Jehovah  over  the  Jordan; 
Susanna  and  the  Elders,  325;  Solomon  and  the 
Queen  of  Sheba,  29. 

Especially  interesting  from  both  story  and  tex- 
ture points  of  view  is  the  Late  Gothic  set  of  ten 
tapestries  at  the  Cluny  Museum  picturing  the 
Story  of  David  (See  plates  nos.  283,  285).  The 
subjects  are: 

1.  David  has  the  ark  transported  to  Jerusalem. 

2.  Bathsheba  at  the  Fountain,  seen  by  David. 

3.  Bathsheba's  husband  Uriah  sent  on  a  mission 
to  Joab. 

4.  Joab's  army  prepares  to  assault  the  city  of 
Rabath. 

5.  Capture  of  Rabath  by  Joab's  army,  and  Uriah's 
death. 

6.  David  in  the  midst  of  courtiers,  learns  of  Joab's 
victory  and  Uriah's  death. 

7.  David  receives  Bathsheba  in  solemn  state. 

8.  David  learns  of  the  death  of  Bathsheba's  baby 
and  humbles  himself  before  the  Almighty. 

9.  David  in  the  midst  of  his  army  receives  the 
crown  and  insignia  of  royalty  captured  at  Rabath. 

10.  Repentance  of  David. 

The  tapestries,  15  feet  high  and  from  19  feet  4  to 
26  feet  9  wide,  are  rich  with  gold  and  silver.  They 
are  said  to  have  been  woven  for  the  King  of  France, 


m 


284  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

once  belonged  to  the  Duke  of  York,  to  the  family  of 
Spinola,  and  to  the  Serra  family  of  Genoa. 

Another  favourite  Old  Testament  subject  was  the 
Story  of  Esther.  Unlike  some  other  Old  Testament 
stories,  this  remained  a  favourite  long  after  the 
Gothic  period,  throughout  the  whole  of  the  XVII  and 
XVIII  centuries.  It  is  pictured  not  only  in  one  XV 
century  tapestry  in  the  Hoentschel  Collection  (See 
plate  no.  403),  but  also  on  the  right  wing  of  the 
Mazarin  tapestry  (See  plate  no.  369),  and  of  the 
Triumph  of  Christ  (See  plate  no.  370),  and  on  the 
left  wing  of  Mr.  Blumenthal's  Story  of  Charlemagne 
(See  plate  no.  371),  and  in  the  set  of  7  pieces  de- 
signed by  De  Troy  (See  chapter  VI)  for  the  Gobelins. 
The  subjects  of  the  De  Troy  different  scenes,  that 
were  designed  from  1737  to  1740  and  woven  over  and 
over  again  during  the  next  50  years,  are:  the  Fainting 
of  Esther,  the  Coronation  of  Esther,  the  Toilet  of 
Esther,  the  Triumph  of  Mordecai,  the  Banquet  of 
Esther,  the  Disdain  of  Mordecai,  the  Condemnation 
of  Haman. 

Especially  popular  in  the  XVI  century  was  the 
Story  of  Abraham,  of  which  there  is  a  set  of  ten  in  the 
Imperial  Austrian  Collection  signed  by  Willem  Van 
Pannemaker,  a  set  of  seven  in  the  Royal  Spanish 
Collection  signed  by  Willem  Van  Pannemaker,  and 
a  set  of  eight  at  Hampton  Court.  The  three  sets, 
borders  and  all,  are  from  the  same  cartoons.  The 
full  set  was  still  at  Hampton  Court  in  1548  when  an 
inventory  was  taken  of  Henry  VIIFs  effects:  "Tenne 
peces  of  newe  arras  of  thistorie  of  Abraham."     In 


■ 


^in^?8nin;j;!}{^iiJ!!riji!r,i;jjiiiiniiiiiH{j!iiriaiiiiisiiiiRai 


PLATE  no.  285.  Part  of  a  Story  of  David  tapestry  at  the  Cluny  Museum,  the  second  in  the  set  of  ten. 
In  this  tapestry  that  is  4.52  metres  by  8.16  Uriah  summoned  by  King  David  returns  from  the  army,  receives 
from  the  hand  of  the  King  a  message  for  Joab,  and  taking  leave  of  his  wife  Bathsheba  sets  forth.  The  part  of 
the  tapestry  reproduced  on  this  page  is  the  upper  left  corner  and  gives  a  view  of  David  and  Bathsheba  (david, 
bersabe)  behind  the  scenes. 


286  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

the  Charles  I  Inventory  of  1649,  they  were  appraised  at 
£10  a  yard,  amounting  to  a  total  of  £8,260,  and  were 
not  sold  but  retained  for  the  use  of  Cromwell.  The 
Spanish  set  formerly  belonged  to  Charles  V's  daugh- 
ter, Jeanne,  and  numbered  only  seven  in  the  inventory 
made  at  the  time  of  her  death  in  1570.  The  Austrian 
set  has  in  the  upper  part  of  the  panel,  on  the  right 
and  on  the  left,  the  Lorraine  coat  of  arms  with  the 
Cardinal's  hat  of  Duke  Charles  of  Lorraine-Vaude- 
mont,  who  died  in  1587.  The  borders  are  divided 
into  compartments  with  porticoes,  after  the  fashion 
of  the  borders  on  the  set  of  Raphael's  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  in  the  Royal  Spanish  Collection.  The 
story  of  each  tapestry  is  told  in  a  Latin  inscription 
on  a  goat's  hide  in  the  middle  of  the  top  border. 
The  inscriptions  read  as  follows:  (1)  God  appears 
to  Abraham,  who  by  God's  command  leaves  his 
country,  builds  an  altar,  worships  God.  (2)  Sarah 
stolen  by  the  Egyptians  is  restored  with  gifts.  God 
shows  Abraham  the  land  of  Canaan.  (3)  In  order 
to  avoid  strife,  Abraham  allowed  Lot  to  choose  the 
place  of  his  habitation.  Abraham  lives  in  Canaan, 
Lot  goes  to  Sodom.  (4)  Abraham  returning  from 
the  slaughter  of  the  four  kings  was  met  by  Melchize- 
dech,  King  of  Salem,  and  priest  of  the  Most  High 
God,  who  offered  him  bread  and  wine.  (5)  God 
appears  to  Abraham  and  promises  him  a  son.  Sarah 
laughs.  Abraham  makes  intercession  for  Sodom, 
that  with  other  cities  is  destroyed  by  fire  from 
Heaven.  (6)  Hagar  is  cast  forth  with  her  son. 
Abraham  gives  them  food  and  drink,  but  the  boy 


288  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

suffers  from  thirst  and  Hagar  laments.  She  is 
consoled  by  an  angel  and  Ishmael  becomes  an  archer. 
(7)  Abraham,  by  the  divine  oracle,  is  commanded 
to  sacrifice  his  only  son  Isaac.  (8)  Eliezer  swore, 
beneath  the  thigh  of  his  master  Abraham,  that  he 
would  not  accept  a  wife  for  Isaac  from  the  daughters 
of  the  Canaanites  but  from  his  own  kin,  and  taking 
camels  and  gifts  he  went  off  into  Mesopotamia. 
(9)  And  when  he  had  come  to  the  fountain  and 
Rebekah,  daughter  of  Bethuel,  had  given  to  him 
asking  a  drink  from  her  pitcher,  and  had  drawn 
water  for  the  camels,  he  knew  by  the  oracle  that  she 
was  to  be  wife  to  the  son  of  Abraham.  (10)  Sarah 
dies.  Abraham  buys  a  field  for  her  sepulchre,  marries 
another  wife,  dies,  is  buried. 

The  Story  of  Moses  received  special  attention  in 
the  Imperial  Austrian  Collection,  which  has  one 
XVIII  century  unsigned  set  of  six  pieces;  one  XVII 
century  set  of  six  signed  with  the  Brussels  mark  and 
either  IAN  LEYNIERS  or  EVERAERT  LEY- 
NIERS;  one  XVII  century  set  of  seven  pieces  signed 
with  the  Brussels  mark  and  either  IAN  PERM  EN- 
TIERS  or  H.  REYDAMS;  one  XVI  century  set 
of  nine  pieces  signed  with  the  Lorraine  double  cross 
(which  marks  the  place  of  weaving  as  Nancy,  capital 
of  Lorraine),  and  with  the  monograms  of  two  of  the 
weavers  who  signed  the  Gonzaga  set  of  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles.  Some  of  the  same  cartoons  were  used 
in  the  first  XVII  century  as  in  the  XVI  century 
Moses  set.  The  XVI  century  set  is  illustrated  com- 
plete in  Birk  Austrian.     It  is  one  of  the  most  beauti- 


mm 


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THE    VIRGIN 

PLATE  no.  289.  The  Perfections  of  the  Virgin,  one  of  the  Gothic-Renaissance  set  at  the  Cathedral  of  Reims 
picturing  the  Story  of  the  Virgin  in  17  pieces,  presented  by  Archbishop  Robert  de  Lenoncourt  whose  name  and  1530  the 
date  of  completion  appear  in  no.  16.  His  coat  of  arms  appears  on  every  piece.  In  the  tapestry  illustrated  above,  the 
Virgin  is  busy  at  a  tapestry  loom — an  all-hand  one  (See  chapter  VTII) — and  has  a  pointed  bobbin  (broche)  in  her  right 
hand.  Supporting  the  columns  on  each  side  of  her,  are  unicorns,  the  fabulous  animal  symbolic  of  chastity.  Note  the 
Gothx  verdure  ground  with  animals  below,  and  the  band  of  Renaissance  rinceaux  with  fleurs-de-lis  and  winged  heads 
above. 


290  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

ful  sets  ever  woven,  with  compartment  borders  after 
the  style  of  the  Vatican  Acts  of  the  Apostles  side 
borders,  and  with  the  arms  of  Lorraine  in  the  top 
of  the  left  border  and  of  Lorraine-Denmark  in  the 
top  of  the  right  border.  The  double  cross  of  Lor- 
raine also  appears  several  times  on  the  drum  in  the 
foreground  of  No.  4  of  the  set.  The  Story  of  each 
of  the  nine  tapestries  is  told  in  three  lines  of  Latin 
in  the  middle  of  the  top  border. 

Other  Old  Testament  tapestries  in  the  Imperial 
Austrian  Collection  are  a  Brussels  XVI  century  set 
of  eight,  with  Latin  inscriptions,  picturing  the  Story 
of  Joshua  (See  plate  no.  291),  all  illustrated  in 
Birk  Austrian;  a  Brussels  XVII  century  set  of  eight 
signed  I.  VAN  ZEUNEN,  and  a  Brussels  XVI 
century  set  of  eight,  most  of  them  signed  with 
the  monogram  of  MARTIN  REYMBOUTS,  both 
picturing  the  Story  of  Jacob  and  most  from  the 
same  cartoons;  and  numerous  other  XVI  century 
tapestries  picturing  the  events  of  Genesis,  Exodus, 
Numbers,  Kings,  Joshua,  Judges,  with  Latin  inscrip- 
tions. 

Tapestries  that  picture  the  stories  of  the  New 
Testament  have  been  described  and  illustrated  in 
other  chapters  of  this  book — the  Angers  Apocalypse, 
the  Reims  Story  of  the  Virgin,  the  La  Chaise-Dieu 
Life  of  Christ,  the  Beaune  Story  of  the  Virgin,  the 
Aix  Life  of  Christ,  in  chapter  II;  Raphael's  Acts  of 
the  Apostles  in  chapters  III  and  V.  Tapestries  in 
the  Royal  Spanish  Collection  particularly  worthy  of 
notice,  and  illustrated  in   Valencia  Spanish  (whose 


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292  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

numbering  I  copy),  are  No.  I,  a  Gothic  Birth  of 
Christ  (first  half  of  the  XV  century),  1.93  metres  by 
2.50,  with  Latin  inscription  in  Gothic  letters;  Nos. 
3,  4,  5,  6,  superb  Late  Gothic  triptych  tapestries 
enriched  with  gold  and  silver,  and  picturing  the 
Story  of  the  Virgin,  that  formerly  belonged  to  Philip 
the  Handsome  and  that  are  worthy  of  comparison 
with  the  Mazarin  tapestry;  Nos.  7,  8,  even  more 
splendid  examples  of  the  weaver's  art  that  also 
picture  scenes  from  the  Life  of  the  Virgin  and  that 
also  belonged  to  Philip  the  Handsome;  Nos.  14,  15, 
16,  17,  brilliantly  beautiful  Late  Gothic  tapestries, 
each  about  11  feet  by  13  feet,  with  two-line  Latin 
captions  in  Gothic  letters  (See  plate  no.  373) ;  Nos. 
18,  19,  Christ  on  the  way  to  Calvary,  and  the  Deposi- 
tion from  the  Cross,  two  Gothic-Renaissance  tapes- 
tries woven  for  Margaret  of  Austria,  and  included  in 
the  inventory  of  her  property  made  in  1523,  seven 
years  before  her  death;  Nos.  28,  29,  30,  31,  four 
Early  Renaissance  tapestries,  11  feet  4  inches  square, 
picturing  the  Passion  of  Our  Lord,  and  woven  by 
Pieter  Van  Pannemaker  for  Margaret  of  Austria; 
No.  66,  a  tapestry,  11  feet  4  by  11  feet  8,  picturing 
the  Last  Supper,  bought  from  Pieter  Van  Panne- 
maker by  Charles  V  at  the  unusually  high  price  of 
38  florins  a  Flemish  aune  and  presented  to  his  wife, 
the  Empress,  bearing  the  Brussels  mark  and  attribu- 
ted by  Count  Valencia  to  the  designs  of  Barend  Van 
Orley;  the  Apocalypse,  a  Renaissance  set  of  eight 
tapestries  picturing  the  Revelation  of  St.  John, 
bought  by  Philip  II,  in  1 561,  from  Willem  Van  Panne- 


HIHMfflniaiSIBff 


PLATE  no.  293.  Above,  the  Adoration  of  the  Magi.  Jesus  gives  his  blessing  to  the  aged  king  who  has  just  presented  him  with 
a  cup  of  gold  coins.  This  tapestry  containing  gold  and  silver,  but  a  little  less  than  a  yard  square,  brought  $5600  at  the  Somzee  sale 
in  1 90 1.     Below,  the  Adoration  of  the  Shepherds.     Note  particularly  the  attitude  of  the  ox  and  the  ass,  and  the  inscription  in  the 

GLORIA     IN      EXCELSIS      DEO. 


294  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

maker,  whose  monogram,  together  with  the  Brussels 
mark,  appears  in  the  selvage. 

Among  Lives  of  the  Saints  pictured  in  tapestry, 
and  described  in  chapter  II  of  this  book,  are  Saints 
Piat  and  Eleuthere  at  the  Cathedral  of  Tournai, 
Saint  Remi  at  Reims,  Saint  Etienne  at  the  Cluny 
Museum,  Saint  Quentin  at  the  Louvre,  Saints 
Gervais  and  Protais  at  Le  Mans. 

Important  also  from  the  religious  point  of  view 
are  tapestries  like  the  Burgundian  Seven  Sacraments, 
described  in  chapter  XVI,  the  Miracles  of  the 
Eucharist  in  chapter  II;  and  those  that  in  their 
method  of  presentation  copy  more  or  less  closely 
after  Morality  plays,  though  perhaps  not  as  com- 
pletely as  suggested  by  Mr.  Wood  in  his  exceedingly 
interesting  article  in  the  January  and  February 
(191 2)  numbers  of  the  Burlington  Magazine,  entitled 
'  Tapestries  of  the  Seven  Deadly  Sins." 


■■■■■■■■BinninjT 


iilHISlW 


CHAPTER   XII 

History  and  Romance  in  Tapestries 

Tapestries  are  one  of  the  most  effective  forms  of 
literary  expression  the  world  has  ever  known. 
Through  them  the  stories  of  Homer's  Iliad  and  of 
Homer's  Odyssey  were  made  vivid  to  the  Greeks. 
Through  them  the  stories  of  Virgil's  iEneid  and 
Ovid's  Metamorphoses  were  made  vivid  to  the 
Romans.  Through  them  the  stories  of  Greek  and 
Roman  and  Medieval  History  and  Romance,  as 
well  as  of  the  Bible  and  the  Saints,  were  made  vivid 
to  the  people  of  France,  England,  Germany,  and 
Italy  during  the  XIV,  XV,  XVI,  XVII  centuries. 

Between  the  tapestries  of  classical  antiquity  and 
those  of  the  XIV  century  a  long  period  of  darkness 
intervened.  For  a  thousand  years  weavers  were 
content  to  leave  the  making  of  large  wall-pictures 
to  painters  and  embroiderers.  For  a  thousand  years 
the  art  of  making  arras  was  dead.  Arras,  I  should 
here  explain,  is  another  name  for  picture-tapestries 
taken  from  the  Flemish  city  of  Arras  (See  chapter 
IV)  that,  in  the  XIV  century,  was  as  famous  for  the 
manufacture  of  tapestry  as  the  Gobelins  is  now. 

About  ancient  Greek  picture-tapestries  we  know 
definitely  from  the  description  in  the  Odyssey  of  the 
picture-tapestry  that  Penelope  wove  openly  by  day, 
but  unravelled  secretly  by  night  because  its  final 

295 


296  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

completion  meant  that  she  must  keep  her  promise 
to  select  from  among  the  suitors  one  to  succeed  the 
long-absent  and  supposedly  long-lost  Ulysses.  An- 
dromache, too,  wove  tapestry,  wove  the  shroud  that 
was  soon  to  envelop  the  body  of  Hector.  Most 
wonderful  of  all  was  the  tapestry  that  Helen  wove, 
Helen  of  Troy,  whose  romance  brought  strife  between 
two  great  nations,  and  led  to  the  downfall  of  her 
adopted  country.  In  this  tapestry,  with  fatal  irony, 
she  wove  the  story  of  her  own  tragic  life. 

About  the  picture-tapestries  of  ancient  Rome  we 
know,  from  the  spirited  weaving  contest  described 
by  Ovid  in  the  Story  of  Arachne.  Arachne  had  the 
audacity  to  contend  even  against  the  goddess  of  the 
art  of  weaving,  Pallas  herself.  With  her  bobbins  she 
wove  such  wonderful  pictures  of  the  Loves  of  the 
Gods  that  Pallas,  consciously  surpassed,  struck 
her.  Arachne,  incensed  at  the  humiliation  of 
the  blow,  and  unable  to  avenge  it,  hanged  herself. 
Whereupon  the  goddess,  relenting,  and  with  intent 
to  gratify  Arachne's  passionate  love  of  weaving, 
transformed  her  into  a  spider  and  bade  her  weave  on 
for  ever. 

We  also  have  pictorial  evidence  about  the  art  of 
tapestry- weaving  in  ancient  Greece  and  Rome.  In 
one  of  the  early  vase-paintings  appear  Penelope  and 
Telemachus  and  a  tapestry  loom.  Telamachus 
watches  his  mother  as  she  weaves.  While  the  loom 
differs  in  some  respects  from  the  medieval  and 
modern  high-warp  loom,  the  details  of  the  illustration 
make  it  certain  that  the  loom,  is  a  tapestry  loom,  and 


TOOTi-  .MUlSiHWl 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  297 

that  the  fabric  being  constructed  is  not  a  damask, 
or  a  brocade,  or  an  embroidery,  but  a  tapestry. 
Unfortunately,  of  the  large  picture-tapestries  of 
ancient  Greece  and  Rome,  none  have  survived. 
But  from  ancient  graves  have  been  dug  up  many 
samples  of  small,  decorative  tapestry  bands  and 
trimmings  for  robes  and  gowns — some  of  them  Greek, 
dating  back  to  the  IV  century  B.C.,  others  woven  in 
Romanised  Egypt  during  the  first  few  centuries. 

Of  these  Egyptian  dress  tapestries — commonly 
known  as  Coptic — there  are  large  collections  in  the 
Metropolitan  and  many  European  museums.  Of 
Byzantine  and  Saracenic  and  Moorish  dress  tapes- 
tries in  silk,  we  also  have  many  samples,  thus  bridg- 
ing the  long  interval  between  Roman  and  Gothic 
tapestries. 

A  favourite  theme  of  the  tapestry-weavers  of  the 
XIV  and  XV  centuries  was  the  Nine  Heroes  (Preux) 
—three  pagan,  Hector,  Alexander,  Csesar;  three 
Hebrew,  David,  Joshua,  Judas  Maccabaeus;  three 
Christian,  Arthur,  Charlemagne,  Godfrey  de  Bouil- 
lon. A  tapestry  picturing  the  Nine  Heroes  belonged 
to  Louis  Duke  of  Anjou.  Two  are  mentioned  in  the 
inventory  of  his  brother  Charles  V  King  of  France 
( 1 364-1 380).  They  also  appear  among  the  furnish- 
ings of  Charles's  brothers  the  Duke  of  Burgundy 
and  the  Duke  of  Berri — but  with  a  tenth  Preux 
added,  the  contemporary  Hero  of  the  war  against 
England,  Bertrand  du  Guesclin.  A  contemporary 
poem  preserved  in  a  manuscript  in  the  Bibliotheque 
Nationale,  reads: 


298  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Puisqu'il  est  mort,  qu'il  soit  mis  en  la  table 
De  Machabee,  premier  preux  de  renom, 
De  Josue,  David  le  raisonable, 
D'Alexandre,  d'Hector  et  Absalon, 
D'Arthus,  Charles,  Godefroi  de  Bouillon. 
Or  soit  nomrae'  le  dixieme  des  lorz 
Bertrand  le  Preux  qui  servit  en  prodon 
L'ecu  d'azur  a  trois  fleurs  de  lia  d'or. 

Which  in  English  reads: 

Since  he  is  dead,  let  him  be  put  in  the  table 
Of  Maccabseus,  first  Hero  in  renown, 
Of  Joshua,  David  the  wise, 
Alexander,  Hector,  and  Absalom, 
Arthur,  Charles,  Godfrey  de  Bouillon. 
Now  let  be  named  the  tenth  of  them 
Bertrand  the  Preux  who  like  a  hero  saved 
The  azure  shield  with  three  golden  fleur-de-lis. 

This  inscription  was  repeated  recently  on  a 
Gobelin  tapestry  picturing  the  Funeral  of  Du 
Guesclin,  designed  by  M.  Edouard  Toudouze  for 
the  Courthouse  of  Rennes.  Perhaps  it  may  be  well 
to  explain  here  that  Judas  Maccabaeus  was  the  great 
Jewish  warrior  who,  in  the  second  century  B.C.,  de- 
feated in  quick  successsion  the  Syrian  generals, 
Appollonius,  Seron,  Gorgias,  and  the  regent  Lysias 
— victories  that  led  to  the  temporary  independence 
of  Judea. 

Of  all  the  Gothic  Hero  tapestries,  however,  practi- 
cally none  have  survived.  In  the  Historic  Museum 
of  Bale  in  Switzerland  there  is  a  XV  century  fragment 
(illustrated  on  page  31  of  Guiffrey  Seizieme)  showing 
Judas   Maccabaeus,   Arthur,   Charlemagne,   Godfrey 


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300  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

de  Bouillon,  side  by  side  afoot  on  a  verdure  back- 
ground, framed  in  long  ribbons  bearing  inscriptions 
in  German  and  each  displayed  his  coat  of  arms  on 
shield  or  banner.  This  tapestry  makes  easy  the 
identification  of  Arthur  and  Godfrey  de  Bouillon 
in  the  Triumph  of  Christ  tapestries  at  Brussels  and 
Saragossa,  and  in  the  Charlemagne  tapestry  owned 
by  Mr.  George  Blumenthal  (See  plates  nos.  370,  371). 
In  the  fragment  discovered  some  years  ago  at  Saint 
Maxent,  the  Heroes  are  mounted,  and  each  of  the 
six — Joshua,  David,  Hector,  Caesar,  Arthur,  God- 
frey de  Bouillon — carries  a  blazoned  shield  that 
would  identify  him  even  if  his  name  were  not  in- 
scribed beside  him.  Some  of  them  have  a  six-line 
exploitation  of  their  prowess  in  verse.  One  of  the 
pieces  begins:  "I  am  Hector  of  Troy  where  fear 
was  great." 

Besides  Heroes,  there  were  also  Heroines.  In  an 
inventory  of  the  Count  of  Savoy,  each  of  the  Heroes 
has  a  lady  companion,  evidently  a  Heroine.  In  the 
Inventory  of  Charles  VI  of  France  appear  a  number 
of  Heroines  glorified  in  tapestry,  most  of  them 
Amazons  and  all  belonging  to  antiquity,  chief  among 
them  Penthesilea,  of  whom  the  Cathedral  of  Angers 
possesses  a  curious  picture  in  tapestry  that  was 
formerly  identified  as  Joan  of  Arc. 

One  proof  of  the  immense  popularity  of  the  Nine 
Heroes  in  the  Middle  Ages  is  the  fact  that  the  four 
kings  in  playing-cards — hearts,  diamonds,  spades, 
clubs — Charles,  Caesar,  David,  Alexander — are  sim- 
ply four  of  the  Medieval  Preux,  Hector  having  be- 


ilinraKW"  !•■      ,SHI^HH!iK»«inHii8i8i!ii 


MMlliiltlUiiUO 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  301 

come  the  Jack  of  Diamonds,  and  the  other  four  hav- 
ing been  dropped. 

Immensely  popular  with  Gothic  tapestry-weavers 
was  the  Story  of  the  Trojan  War.  Typical  examples 
are  the  three  Chevalier  Bayard  fragments  and  the 
seven  Aulhac  fragments  illustrated  in  colour  in 
Jubinal  Tapisseries.  The  former  were  purchased  in 
1807  from  the  owner  of  the  Chateau  de  Bayard  by 
the  painter  M.  Richard  of  Lyons,  who  thirty  years 
later  presented  them  to  M.  Jubinal  (See  plate  no. 
59).  The  latter  formerly  belonged  to  the  Besse 
family  of  Aulhac,  from  whom  they  were  taken  at  the 
time  of  the  French  Revolution  and  placed  in  the 
Courthouse  of  Issoire  where  they  now  are.  By  a 
rare  piece  of  good  fortune  the  original  colour  sketches 
survive  and  are  now  in  the  Louvre.  They  formerly 
belonged  to  Herr  Adolf  Gutbier  of  Dresden,  and 
while  in  his  possession  were  illustrated  and  de- 
scribed in  Schumann  Trojan.  Of  these  sketches 
there  are  eight,  15  by  22  inches,  all  in  good  condition 
except  the  second  from  which  a  vertical  section  of 
the  middle  is  missing.  The  sketches  were  drawn 
with  the  pen  and  coloured  red,  blue,  and  yellow  with 
water-colours.     The  subjects  are: 

(1)  Antenor's  Mission  to  Greece  (two  scenes).  The  Judg- 
ment of  Paris.  (2)  Arrival  of  the  Greeks  and  the  First 
Battle  of  Troy.  (3)  Fourth  Battle,  King  Thoas  Captured, 
In  the  Chamber  of  Beauty.  (4)  Death  of  Palamedes,  the 
Refusal  of  Achilles,  Hector's  Farewell  to  Andromache.  (5) 
Eighth  Battle,  Death  of  Achilles,  Twentieth  Battle.  (6) 
Arrival  of  Penthesilea,  Battle  of  the  Amazons,  the  Army  of 
Pyrrhus,  Pyrrhus  in  Battle.     (7)   Death  of  Penthesilea,  An- 


302  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

tenor's  Treachery.      (8)  The  Wooden  Horse,   the  deaths  of 
Priam  and  Polyxena. 

The  Bayard  fragments  correspond  to  the  left  ^ 
of  sketch  no.  6.  At  the  bottom  of  each  of  the 
Bayard  fragments  is  a  Latin  caption  in  two  lines. 
The  first  reads: 

Vergunt  Trojam  cum  Panthasilea.  Bellatrices  mille 
federatae. 

Ut  Hectorem  vindicent  galeam.  Hiis  Priamus  favit  ordinate. 

From  the  Aulhac  fragments  the  captions  are  miss- 
ing, but  they  as  well  as  the  Bayard  fragments  have 
some  of  the  personages  and  buildings  designated  by 
name. 

Especially  interesting  are  the  seventeen  eight-line 
stanzas  of  French  verse  written  on  the  back  of  the 
eight  colour  sketches  (petits  patrons).  Schumann 
prints  them  entire.  They  are  based  not  upon  the 
Iliad,  but  upon  other  poetical  versions  of  the  Story 
of  Troy. 

One  of  the  Aulhac  fragments  copies  the  first  scene 
of  sketch  no.  i,  and  a  fragment  at  the  Cathedral  of 
Zamora  copies  no.  8. 

A  subject  that  appealed  particularly  to  the  weavers 
of  the  XVI  century  was  the  Story  of  Scipio  Africanus, 
glorious  with  battles  and  triumphs  (See  Astier  Scipio). 
The  designs  were  nearly  or  quite  all  Italian,  and 
largely  inspired  by  Petrarch's  epic  poem  Africa  that 
treats  exclusively  of  the  Second  Punic  war.  One  of 
the  most  ancient  sets  was  the  one  known  as  the 
Grand  Scipion  purchased  by  Francois  I  for  the 
Chateau  of  Madrid  and  burned  in  1797  (See  chapter 


niii;!;ii^i!i;)<]it!r<iii{iiiinK8niuniiifiaiiisiiii»iiUi 


304  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

I),  for  the  gold  and  silver  that  it  contained.  The 
tapestries  were  woven  by  Marc  Cretif,  who  was 
the  first  Brussels  owner  of  the  original  petits  patrons 
(small  colour  sketches),  fifteen  of  which  have  been 
discovered  in  the  Louvre  by  Colonel  d'Astier  and 
M.  Jean  Guiffrey.  Of  these  petits  patrons,  the 
Triumphs  were  by  Giulio  Romano,  the  Deeds 
(Gestes)  by  his  associate  Francesco  Penni  (il 
Fattore).  Of  the  22  scenes,  the  first  13  are  Deeds, 
the  others  Triumphs: 

(1)  Victory  points  out  to  Scipio  the  way  to  glory.  (2) 
Scipio  saves  his  father  at  the  battle  of  the  Ticinus.  (3)  Scipio 
forces  the  palisaded  camp  of  Hasdrubal.  (4)  The  assault  on 
Carthagena.  (5)  The  crown  given  to  Loelius.  (6)  The 
Continence  of  Scipio.      (7)  The  Duel  of  Corbis  and  Orsua. 

(8)  Mandonius    and    Indibiles    unite    against    the    Romans. 

(9)  Generosity  of  Scipio  towards  Spanish  prisoners.  (10) 
Scipio  and  Hasdrubal  dine  with  Syphax.  (11)  Banquet  given 
in  Sicily  by  Scipio  to  the  tribunes.  (12)  Conference  between 
Scipio  and  Hannibal  before  the  battle  of  Zama.  (13)  Battle 
of  Zama.  (14)  The  procession  of  victories.  (15)  Crossing 
the  Bridge.  (16)  At  Monte  Cavallo.  (17)  The  Grand  Stand. 
(18)  The  Circus.  (19)  The  Portico.  (20)  The  Prisoner 
Syphax.  (21)  The  Triumphal  Car.  {22)  Scipio  arrives  at 
the  Capital. 

Colonel  Astier  gives  photographic  illustrations,  from 
the  Louvre  petits  patrons  or  from  tapestries,  of  all 
of  these  scenes  except  nos.  1  and  7.  He  also  makes 
an  exhaustive  study  with  illustrations  of  Scipio 
tapestries  from  other  designs.  Nos.  90  to  96  in 
Valencia  Spanish  are  seven  pieces  from  the  original 
designs  signed  with  the  Brussels  mark  and  a  mono- 


3nn!(ii^8n^uinninnffiniUiHMiii»iH!<iit:siSiMiiU!ini{)iuniatfUiit8MiHQai 


306  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

gram,  purchased  by  Mary  of  Hungary  (See  chapter 
IV),  and  bequeathed  by  her  to  her  brother  Charles 
V  on  her  death  in  1558  (See  plate  no.  95). 

Interesting  sets  in  the  Imperial  Austrian  Collec- 
tion, picturing  Greek  and  Roman  history  and 
mythology,  are:  the  Story  of  Dido  and  iEneas  in 
8  pieces  woven  in  the  XVII  century  and  signed  M. 
WAUTERS  or  M  W,  after  the  designs  of  Romanelli; 
another  set  of  the  Story  of  Dido  and  ^Eneas  in  8 
pieces  signed  either  I.  V.  BRUGGHEN  or  PEETER 
VANDER  BERGHEN;  a  XVII  century  set  of  8 
pieces  picturing  the  Life  of  the  Emperor' Augustus; 
a  XVII  century  set  of  5  pieces  after  Rubens  picturing 
the  Life  of  the  Roman  consul  Decius  Mus;  a  XVI 
century  set  in  9  pieces  with  Latin  captions  picturing 
the  Story  of  Alexander  the  Great,  signed  with  the 
Brussels  mark  and  a  monogram;  a  XVI  century  set 
in  9  pieces  with  Latin  captions  picturing  the  Story 
of  Vertumnus  and  Pomona,  signed  with  the  Brussels 
mark  and  a  monogram;  a  XVI  century  set  of  8 
pieces  picturing  the  Story  of  Romulus  and  Remus, 
with  Latin  caption,  signed  with  the  Brussels  mark 
and  the  monogram  of  Frans  Van  Geubels. 

Among  sets  picturing  contemporary  history  are: 
the  Life  and  Deeds  of  Joao  de  Castro,  Viceroy  of 
the  Portugal  Indies  (died  at  Goa  in  1548),  in  9  pieces, 
with  Brussels  mark  and  a  monogram,  a  XVI  century 
set  in  the  Imperial  Austrian  Collection;  the  Conquest 
of  Tunis,  a  XVI  century  set  in  9  pieces  (originally  11), 
picturing  the  famous  campaign  of  Charles  V,  after 
designs  by  Jean  Vermayen  (whose  full  length  portrait 


iniirannH8»iiini»nn«»n5nn^ns»U)»»^»»^»n^usn^siintfii»iun(iiitHiiisiHU)uui 


308  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

appears  in  the  first),  signed  with  the  Brussels  mark 
and  the  monogram  of  Willem  Van  Pannemaker, 
with  very  long  Spanish  captions  in  the  top  borders 
and  Latin  captions  in  the  bottom  borders,  in  the 
Royal  Spanish  Collection;  in  the  Imperial  Austrian 
Collection  a  set  of  10  pieces  from  the  same  cartoons 
signed  with  the  Brussels  mark  and  IUDOCUS 
DE  VOS,  whose  contract,  dated  March  10,  171 2, 
called  for  6,654^  louis  d'or;  the  Battle  of  Pavia,  a 
XVI  century  set  in  seven  pieces  after  designs  by 
Barend  Van  Orley,  presented  to  the  Emperor  Charles 
V  in  1 53 1  by  the  States  General  of  the  Netherlands, 
in  memory  of  his  famous  victory  over  the  French 
at  Pavia  in  1524,  now  in  the  Naples  Museum  (See 
plate  no.  309). 

The  Pavia  tapestries  are  13  feet  9  inches  high  and 
from  25  feet  5  to  28  feet  11  wide;  the  Tunis  tapes- 
tries, 17  feet  high  and  from  23  feet  4  to  32  feet  6 
wide.     The  subjects  of  the  Pavia  tapestries  are: 

(1)  The  attack  of  the  yeomen  and  arquebusiers  on  the 
right  wing  of  the  French  army  (2)  The  French  army  opens 
out,  but  the  Swiss  refuse  to  advance.  (3)  The  soldiers  of  the 
Black  Band  being  almost  all  slain,  the  yeomenry  storm  the 
French  King's  fortified  camp.  (4)  Flight  of  the  Duke  of 
Alencon  across  the  Ticinus.  (5)  The  Swiss  driven  into  the 
Ticinus.  (6)  The  French  King  Francois  I  in  personal  combat 
with  the  Marchese  Civita  di  Sant'  Angelo.  (7)  The  capture 
of  Francois  I. 

That  evening  Francois  wrote  to  his  mother: 
"Madam,  pour  vous  faire  savoir  comment  se  porte 
le  reste  de  mon  infortune,  de  toutes  choses  ne  m'est 


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310  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

demeure  que  l'honneur,  et  la  vie  qui  est  sauvee. 
(Madam,  to  explain  to  you  the  rest  of  my  mis- 
fortunes, the  only  thing  left  to  me  is  honour,  and 
my  life  that  has  been  saved)." 

The  subjects  of  the  Tunis  tapestries  are: 

(i)  Map  of  the  Mediterranean  showing  the  ports  of  em- 
barkation from  Europe  and  the  field  of  operations  in  Africa. 
(2)  Review  of  the  Emperor's  army  at  Barcelona.  (3)  Arrival 
of  the  fleet  at  the  site  of  ancient  Carthage,  and  debarkation. 
(4)  Battle  outside  La  Goleta.  (5)  Sortie  of  the  Turks  from 
La  Goleta.  (6)  Turks  driven  back  into  La  Goleta.  (7)  Cap- 
ture of  La  Goleta.  (8)  The  Emperor  advances  on  Tunis 
(missing  from  the  Spanish  set  since  the  middle  of  the  XVIII 
century).  (9)  Capture  of  Tunis.  (10)  Sack  of  Tunis.  (11) 
Return  of  the  army  to  Rada  (missing  from  the  Spanish  set). 
(12)  Re-embarkation  of  the  army. 

Interesting  to  compare  with  these  Charles  V 
tapestries — Tunis,  Pavia,  and  Notre  Dame  du 
Sablon  described  in  my  chapter  on  Renaissance 
Tapestries — is  the  remarkable  Gobelin  set  of  14 
pieces  picturing  the  Story  of  Louis  XIV  of  France 
(See  chapter  VI)  which  is  admirably  supplemented 
by  the  12  Royal  Residences. 


H^!illi!BilH: 


CHAPTER  XIII 

The  Tapestry  Point  of  View 

Gothic  and  Renaissance  points  of  view  were 
diametrically  opposed.  The  purpose  of  Gothic 
pictorial  art  was  to  tell  the  story  beautifully  and 
effectively.  The  purpose  of  Renaissance  pictorial 
art — a  purpose  inherited  by  Raphael  and  his  school 
from  Ancient  Rome — was  to  produce  the  illusion  of 
reality. 

About  Gothic  art  there  is  a  mystery  and  romance 
that  fascinates.  It  is  intensely  personal,  intensely 
human,  intensely  spiritual.  It  is  the  work  of  men 
permeated  with  religious  consciousness,  and  with 
warm  comprehension  of  the  omniscience  and  omni- 
presence of  God.  Gothic  art  is  Christianity  in 
concrete  form. 

Renaissance  art  was  more  intellectual,  more 
abstract,  more  scientific.  It  was  more  interested 
in  what  could  be  calculated  with  the  head  than  in 
what  could  be  felt  with  the  heart.  It  was  critical 
rather  than  receptive,  and  deliberately  preferred 
perfection  of  form  and  precision  of  method,  to 
creative  grandeur  and  a  wide  appeal. 

Comparison  of  Gothic  with  Renaissance  tapestries 
illustrates  this.  The  former  tell  the  story  at  any 
expense.  In  the  Marriage  of  Cana  (See  plate  no. 
71)  in  the  Hoentschel  Collection,  the  jars  are  turned 

311 


312  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

so  that  everyone  can  see  that  they  now  contain  red 
wine.  Architectural  angles  are  increased  or  dimin- 
ished in  order  to  display  the  details  of  vaults  and  walls 
and  columns.  Scenes  are  represented  as  if  regarded 
from  an  arbitrary  point  of  view,  and  effects  that 
in  nature  and  photography  and  painting  are  produced 
by  contrast  of  light  and  shade,  are  in  Gothic  tapes- 
tries produced  by  contrast  of  line  and  pattern  and 
colour  (hue). 

Take  the  Burgundian  Seven  Sacraments  presented 
to  the  Metropolitan  Museum  by  Mr.  Morgan  and 
described  by  me  in  the  Burlington  Magazine  for 
December,  1907.  This  tapestry  (See  plate  no.  47), 
once  consisted  of  an  upper  row  of  seven  scenes 
picturing  the  Seven  Sacraments  in  their  origin,  and 
a  lower  row  of  seven  scenes  picturing  the  Seven 
Sacraments  as  celebrated  in  the  XV  century,  with 
captions  in  Old  French  between  the  two  rows  of 
scenes.  A  brick  wall  with  floriation  outside  framed 
the  whole  tapestry. 

The  scenes  were  separated  laterally  by  Gothic 
columns  with  jewelled  capitals  and  collars. 

Above  and  on  the  left  the  brick  wall  is  shadowed 
inside,  and  high-lighted  outside;  below  it  is  high- 
lighted inside  and  shadowed  outside,  thus  repre- 
senting the  light  source  as  above  and  on  the  left. 
But,  the  wall  above  and  on  the  left  is  represented 
as  turned  up  and  to  the  left,  and  the  inside  is  jewelled 
so  as  to  stand  boldly  out  and  accentuate  the  point 
of  view  arbitrarily  imposed  by  the  designer  as  from 
below  on  the  right.     Consonant  with  this,  the  inside 


ninu^mmarrittn^n^niiuj'iiJf^sjn^^Hiin^iHninm^Hr^fliusuiinHua 


314  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

of  the  wall  on  the  right  is  entirely  invisible,  while 
just  enough  of  the  inside  of  the  bottom  wall  is  shown 
to  set  the  point  of  view  as  about  the  height  of  the 
eyes  of  a  person  standing  in  front. 

In  Late  Renaissance  and  XVII  century  tapestries 
the  point  of  view  shifted  to  the  middle  in  front  of 
the  tapestry,  the  inside  of  the  frame  on  the  right 
being  in  high  light,  and  the  outside  in  shadow — re- 
versed of  course  when  the  light  source  was  represented 
as  on  the  right. 

The  Ancient  Romans  also  employed  arbitrary 
points  of  view  to  help  them  tell  the  story.  But  they 
used  shadow  only,  without  jewelled  or  other  orna- 
ment to  signal  and  emphasise  the  convention. 

Take  the  Bescoreale  Frescoes  in  the  Metropolitan 
Museum,  one  of  the  panels  of  which  I  illustrate 
(See  plate  no.  315).  Inside  and  back  of  the  round 
painted  columns  in  front,  are  square  shadow  columns 
whose  presence  is  purely  arbitrary  and  whose  purpose 
is  to  push  out  the  round  columns  into  relief.  Notice 
particularly  that  in  his  efforts  to  obtain  semblance 
of  reality  and  relief  the  artist  did  not  hesitate  to 
use  shadow  columns  inside  both  the  round  columns, 
thus  representing  the  light  as  coming  from  both 
outsides,  and  the  point  of  view  as  in  front  in  the 
middle. 

What  my  illustration  merely  indicates  is  confirmed 
by  the  main  room  of  the  Bescoreale  Frescoes,  with 
three  scenes,  ABA,  opposite  A,  B  A  (A,  being  the 
reverse  of  A  and  B,  of  B),  and  on  the  end  wall  CDC,. 
The  shadow  columns  make  it  certain  that  the  point 


nrasninmin!^^ 


BOSCOREALE  FRESCO 

PLATE  no.  315.  Panel  from  the  Bo6coreale  Frescoes  at  the  Metropolitan  Museum,  introduced  to 
show  the  ancient  Roman  method  of  forcing  painted  columns  forward  into  apparent  relief  by  the  use  of 
square  shadow  columns  behind  them.  It  was  the  imitation  of  ancient  Roman  paintings  heavily  shadowed 
like  this,  that  finally  replaced  Gothic  line  contrast  by  Renaissance  and  Baroque  shadow  contrast  (See 
chapter  XIII). 


316  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

of  view  is  in  the  middle  between  B  and  B,,  and  that 
the  light  comes  from  both  sides  outside  A  and  A,. 

While  Raphael  introduced  heavy  shadows  and 
considerable  photographic  perspective  into  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles  tapestries,  he  did  not  employ  the 
heavily  shadowed  woven  columns  and  frames  that 
are  so  characteristic  of  Mortlake  and  XVII  century 
Brussels  tapestries.  Indeed  as  far  as  tapestries  were 
concerned,  it  was  not  until  the  XVII  century  that 
the  weavers  began  to  reproduce  paintings  in  toto 
— wooden   frames   and   all. 


[Iti!i!nirani2!n»jni»^«fl»)^;^ni)iiin}i8sn]nniai)iu9]ni 


CHAPTER   XIV 

The  Care  of  Tapestries 

As  a  rule,  tapestries  should  hang  loose  and  free. 
Only  then  do  they  succeed  in  telling  their  complete 
story  in  their  own  way.  And  then  only  are  they 
safe  in  case  of  fire,  because  easy  to  take  down  and 
carry  away.  The  measures  often  taken  for  the 
preservation  of  tapestries  are  frequently  fatal  to 
them.  Wooden  frames  that  for  paintings  are  neces- 
sary from  the  aesthetic  as  well  as  from  the  utilitarian 
point  of  view,  are  doubly  wrong  for  tapestries.  They 
make  tapestries  difficult  to  transport,  and  they  expose 
them  particularly  to  the  attacks  of  moths. 

One  of  the  virtues  of  tapestries  is  that  they  are 
so  easy  to  handle  and  take  care  of.  A  band  of  stiff 
webbing  with  rings,  across  the  top,  is  all  the  harness 
necessary  for  hanging,  from  small  hooks,  even  the 
largest  tapestries  that  are  in  good  condition.  Then 
it  is  but  a  second's  work  to  unhook  the  precious 
fabric,  and  carry  it  off  folded  up  under  the  arm. 
But  the  folding  should  be  only  temporary,  and 
tapestries  like  rugs  when  sent  to  the  store-room 
should  never  be  folded  but  rolled  on  wooden  poles,  a 
large  number  of  which  can  be  stored  in  small  space 
by  placing  on  upright  standards  with  projecting  arms, 
as  at  the  Gobelins. 

On  the  question  of  folding  tapestries  the  famous 

317 


318  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

tapestry  designer,  Oudry,  speaks  with  authority, 
writing  from  Beauvais  to  the  King  of  Sweden  in 
1745  with  regard  to  the  set  of  Boucher's  Story  of 
Psyche,  just  acquired  by  the  King  for  only  8,835 
livres.     He  says: 

I  have  made  a  roller  on  which  I  have  rolled  the  tapestries 
in  order  that  they  may  not  be  a  fold  under  the  arms,  leg,  etc., 
to  spoil  the  contour.  I  beg  of  you  earnestly,  sir,  to  order  that 
it  should  never  be  folded  for  several  days  at  a  time,  and  that 
always  after  it  has  been  opened  out  for  some  time,  that  it  be 
rolled  up  with  care,  in  order  that  no  false  folds  slip  in.  For 
lack  of  this  precaution,  many  fine  tapestries  in  our  public 
collections  have  been  seriously  injured  by  their  guardians  who 
took  the  greatest  pains  to  fold  them  always  in  the  same  folds. 

Frames  with  heavy  relief  mouldings  not  only  make 
tapestries  unwieldy,  they  also  spoil  their  appearance, 
even  without  the  glass  that  some  ignorant  vandals 
add.  Just  as  surely  as  paintings  look  best  when 
fenced  in  so  as  to  increase  the  illusion,  so  tapestries 
look  best  when  standing  out  in  relief  beyond  their 
background.  This  is  true  even  of  XVIII  century 
tapestries,  and  the  farther  back  you  go  toward  the 
Golden  Age  of  tapestries  the  more  is  it  true. 

Of  course  when  tapestries  are  very  old  and  tender, 
especial  measures  must  be  taken  for  their  preserva- 
tion. They  must  be  held  in  position  by  vertical  and 
horizontal  bands  of  lining,  reinforced  if  necessary 
with  an  all-over  lining,  so  that  no  part  of  the  ancient 
textile  may  be  subjected  to  strain  or  stress.  But 
great  care  must  be  taken  to  have  the  lining  well 
shrunk  before  applying,   or    the  effect  will  be  dis- 


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320  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

astrous  instead  of  helpful.  A  narrow  board  across 
the  top  of  a  tapestry,  tacked  to  the  webbing,  makes 
it  easy  to  hang  by  picture-cord  from  the  moulding 
like  a  framed  painting,  and  a  narrow  board  across 
the  bottom  will  straighten  out  obtrusive  folds. 

But  here  I  wish  to  utter  a  word  of  protest  against 
those  who  insist  on  hanging  tapestries  flat.  Tapes- 
tries are  not  made  to  hang  flat  and  do  not  show  to 
their  best  advantage  when  so  hung.  The  lights  and 
shadows  that  are  added  to  the  tapestry  ribbed-and- 
lined  surface  by  the  folds  and  puckers,  natural  to  the 
product  of  the  tapestry  loom — particularly  the  high- 
warp  loom — are  one  of  its  most  pleasing  features,  and 
should  be  preserved  even  in  XVIII  century  tapestries 
that  can  stand  flatter-hanging  than  any  others. 
•  For  XVIII  century  panels  of  moderate  size,  a 
newly  invented  tapestry  tape  that  reduces  the  in- 
surance on  valuable  pieces,  will  be  found  useful,  be- 
cause it  makes  them  easier  to  save  in  case  of  fire. 
The  tape  is  of  two  kinds,  one  with  eyes  that  sew  to 
the  border  of  the  tapestry,  the  other  with  buttons  that 
attach  to  the  wall  or  frame.  In  a  trice  the  eyes 
can  be  snapped  over  the  buttons  and  the  tapestry  is 
as  flatly  in  the  frame  or  against  the  wall  as  the  great- 
est lover  of  flatness  in  tapestry  surface  could  wish. 
Comes  a  fire,  and  one  pull  will  dislodge  the  whole 
panel. 

Of  course,  another  reason  for  not  framing  tapes- 
tries, is  that  many  of  them  already  have  a  woven 
border  or  frame. 

The    cleaning    of    tapestries    is    comparatively    a 


•~T*~^TTT?^T^^^^^ 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  321 

simple  matter — merely  a  wooden  frame  or  frames 
elevated  to  a  convenient  height  above  the  ground, 
with  lattice-work  of  narrow  bands  of  canvas  six  or 
eight  inches  apart  to  hold  the  tapestry  flat.  Then 
spread  the  tapestry  out  face  down  on  the  frames,  and 
tap  the  back  lightly  but  persistently  to  dislodge  the 
dust.  Then  invert  the  tapestry  and  attack  the  dust 
gently  with  a  stiff  brush.  This  process  will  also  do 
more  than  any  other  to  dislodge  moth  eggs,  which 
survive  the  formaldehyde  vapor  baths,  that  to  the 
moths  themselves  are  fatal  and  that  do  not,  like  other 
baths  and  washings,  injure  the  fabric,  especially  if  it 
contains  gold  or  silver.  Where  formaldehyde  baths 
are  not  practicable,  the  powdered  camphrosine  that 
is  used  at  the  Gobelins  can  be  recommended. 

Tapestries  that  are  badly  stained  must  be  washed 
in  water  with  white  liquid  soap.  For  milder  cases 
stale  bread-crumbs,  or  fine  moist  sawdust  will  do. 

Repairing  tapestries  is  work  for  an  expert.  Val- 
uable pieces  should  never  be  intrusted  to  Oriental  rug 
repairers  or  to  any  one  not  absolutely  and  completely 
familiar  with  tapestry  texture,  and  also  honest  of 
purpose.  Many  tapestries  have  been  ruined  by 
bad  repairing  and  by  painting  up  the  surface  with 
dyes  in  order  to  accomplish  astounding  results 
quickly  and  inexpensively.  An  extreme  example  of 
this,  sold  at  the  Robb  Sale  19 12,  was  a  narrow  decora- 
tive panel  in  the  style  of  Audran. 

To  allow  tapestries  to  collect  dust  on  the  walls  of 
a  museum  year  after  year,  without  proper  cleaning 
or  repairs,  is  a  crime.     An  extreme  example  of  this 


322  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

is  a  Renaissance  tapestry,  entitled  the  Capture  of 
Granada,  lent  to  the  Pennsylvania  Museum  of  Indus- 
trial Art  by  Mrs.  John  Harrison.  Other  tapestries 
at  the  same  museum  that  are  suffering  from  neglect 
are  three  Story  of  Jacob  panels,  signed  with  the 
Brussels  mark  and  a  monogram  made  out  of  the 
letters  AEST. 


hMni.,WfiffiH(Stlffll»Di^Hn(»lK30H:(;WtHHU!HNamnUiilUiHHUilUHQfl 


CHAPTER  XV 

Tapestry    Museums,  Collections,    Expositions, 
Inventories,  Sales,  Books 

In  order  to  know  tapestries,  it  is  necessary  to  study 
not  only  actual  examples,  but  also  the  illustrations 
contained  in  books  on  tapestry  and  in  catalogues  of 
sales  and  collections.  It  is  also  necessary  to  take 
advantage  of  the  best  that  has  been  written  on  the 
subject,  and  to  learn  to  distinguish  the  wheat  from 
the  chaff.  The  purpose  of  this  chapter  is  to  make  this 
easy,  and  by  furnishing  abbreviations  of  titles  to  save 
space  in  the  other  chapters.  The  abbreviations  are 
printed  in  italics  to  make  them  catch  the  eye  quickly. 
Illustrations  I  have  described  as  line,  or  half-tone,  or 
photographic,  arbitrarily  employing  the  term  photo- 
graphic to  denote  illustrations  from  photograph  not 
translated  through  line  or  screen.  All  of  the  books 
named,  except  as  otherwise  noted,  can  be  consulted 
at  the  Library  of  the  Metropolitan  Museum  in  New 
York  City.  Many  of  them  are  also  to  be  found  in 
the  New  York  Public  Library,  the  Library  of  Colum- 
bia University,  the  Boston  Public  Library,  and  the 
Library  of  the  Boston  Fine  Arts  Museum. 
Gitiffrey  Bibliography  very  properly  heads  any  list 
of  books  on  tapestry,  for  M.  Jules  Guiffrey  is  first 
among  writers  on  tapestry.  As  director  of  the 
Gobelins,  and  as  archivist,  he  had  extraordinary 
opportunities  to  gratify  his  love  for  tapestries  and 

323 


324  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

tapestry  literature,  and  render  service  to  other 
lovers  of  tapestry  by  the  publication  of  records 
and  documents  previously  inaccessible.  The  title 
of  M.  Guiffrey 's  bibliography  of  tapestry  is  La 
Tapisserie,  Paris,  1904.  It  contains  1,083  titles 
and  has  an  excellent  index. 

South  Kensington  Bibliography  is  a  pamphlet,  printed 
for  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum  in  1888,  con- 
taining a  list  of  books  in  the  Museum  Library  on 
textiles,  pages  36  to  48  on  tapestry.  Macomber 
Bibliography,  of  which  there  are  copies  in  the 
Library  of  the  Metropolitan  Museum  and  in  the 
Boston  Public  Library  (the  latter  with  annotations 
and  additions  in  handwriting),  is  a  privately  print- 
ed (Boston,  1895)  catalogue  and  bibliography  of 
books,  pamphlets,  and  magazine  articles  assembled 
by  M.  Alfred  Darcel  the  distinguished  writer  on 
tapestries,  and  now  a  part  of  the  library  of  Mr. 
Frank  Gair  Macomber. 

Guiffrey  Generale.  Pinchart  Generale.  Muentz  Gene- 
rale.  These  are  the  three  abbreviations  I  have 
chosen  to  stand  for  the  three  monumental  volumes 
of  the  great  Histoire  Generale  de  la  Tapisserie, 
Paris,  1874-84.  Guiffrey  wrote  the  text  of  the 
volume  on  French  tapestries;  Pinchart  Flemish; 
Miintz  Italian,  German,  and  English.  There  are 
105  large  and  separately  mounted  photographic 
illustrations  besides  line  illustrations  in  the  text. 
This  book  is  not  easy  reading,  but  it  is  a  mine  of 
facts.  Of  course  some  of  its  conclusions  have 
been  superseded  by  later  investigations. 


^R<nut;tn;«ifi!n<}<HJKH(}iMi!;!i)!;!t:i»WHH!iniaian{jiad(iwiiiHiHaii 


SUSANNAH 

PLATE  no.  325.  Susannah  and  the  Elders,  a  Late  Gothic  tapestry,  13  feet  by  10  feet  10,  bought  by  the  Victoria 
and  Albert  Museum  in  1832  for  t'190.  The  shields  in  the  corners  were  sewn  in  after  the  completion  of  the  tapestry. 
The  border  with  its  curious  birds  and  winding  foliage  is  especially  interesting.  Susannah  whose  identity  is  made 
certain  by  the  caption  suscnnc  perfumes  the  bath,  apparently  unconscious  of  observation. 


326  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Jubinal  Tapisseries  was  the  first,  and,  for  nearly  half 
a  century,  remained  the  only  important  book  on 
tapestry.  Published  in  Paris  in  1838  in  two 
volumes,  Les  Anciennes  Tapisseries  Historiees 
by  Achille  Jubinal,  presents  123  immense  hand- 
coloured  line  plates  from  drawings  by  Victor 
Sansonnetti.  Of  these  illustrations  24  do  not 
come  within  the  scope  of  my  book  as  they  illustrate 
the  Bayeux  Tapestry,  which  is  not  a  woven  tapes- 
try at  all  but  an  embroidery.  The  tapestries 
illustrated  are  all  early  examples — none  later  than 
the  XVI  century — those  in  the  church  of  La 
Chaise-Dieu  (an  ancient  little  village  in  the  South 
of  France),  of  the  cathedral  of  Aix  ancient  capital 
of  Provence,  of  the  Chateau  d'Aulhac  near  Issoire, 
of  Beauvais,  Reims,  Nancy,  Dijon,  of  the  so-called 
Tapisserie  de  Bayard  (now  in  the  Victoria  and 
Albert  Museum),  of  Valenciennes,  and  of  the 
Chateau  d'Haroue.  Jubinal's  text  describing  the 
tapestries  contains  much  information  that  has 
been  overlooked  by  some  later  writers. 

Migeon,  Thomson,  Guiffrey  Histoire,  Mnentz,  are  the 
best  general  books  on  tapestry  for  the  average 
reader.  Migeon's  Les  Arts  du  Tissu,  Paris,  1909, 
devotes  nearly  half  of  its  space  to  tapestries,  and 
has  a  wealth  of  illustrations  in  half-tone  and  a  good 
bibliography,  but  an  inadequate  index.  It  is 
more  readable  than  either  Miintz  or  Thomson. 
Thomson's  History  of  Tapestry,  London,  1906,  did 
pioneer  work  on  English  tapestries,  particularly 
Mortlake.     He  was  the  first  to  unearth  valuable 


I     I'  hill  I     III       I  M 'I  lillllllllllH  IIIIMHI 


328  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

material  buried  in  the  public  and  private  records 
of  Great  Britain,  and  I  wish  here  to  express  my 
great  indebtedness  to  him.  Many  of  the  records 
consulted  by  him  have  been  published  and  are 
to  be  found  in  the  Avery  Library.  The  only  copy 
that  I  know  of  John  Eustace  Anderson's  A  Short 
Account  of  the  Tapestry  Works  at  Mortlake 
{Anderson  Mortlake)  is  in  the  Library  of  the 
Victoria  and  Albert  Museum,  that  also  has  an 
exclusive  typewritten  copy  of  a  manuscript  that 
gives  King  James's  copy  of  the  agreement  made 
by  Henri  IV  with  Comans  and  Planche  {Newton 
Mortlake).  The  manuscript  belongs  to  Mr.  C. 
E.  Newton  Robinson.  Mr.  Thomson's  book  has 
four  very  fine  half-tone  illustrations  in  colour,  and 
many  in  black  and  white  half-tone.  He  illustrates 
in  line  no  less  than  371  tapestry  marks  and  sig- 
natures, but  without  sufficient  data.  His  three 
extensive  indexes — List  of  the  Chief  Centres  of 
Manufacture,  List  of  Subjects  of  Tapestries,  List 
of  Tapestries  and  Merchants,  Painters,  Designers, 
Directors,  etc. — are  invaluable.  Eugene  Miintz's 
La  Tapisserie,  Paris,  1881,  with  English  translation 
published  in  London,  1885  (both  out  of  print),  and 
Jules  Guiffrey's  Histoire  de  la  Tapisserie,  Tours, 
1886,  were  the  first  two  general  handbooks  on  the 
subject.  Both  are  generously  illustrated  in  line, 
and  the  latter  has  also  four  very  handsome  litho- 
graphs in  colour  illustrating  scenes  from  the  Lady 
with  the  Unicorn,  at  the  Cluny,  the  Angers  Apo- 
calypse,   the    Angers    Saint    Martin,    Louis    XIV 


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330  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Visiting  the  Gobelins.  M.  Guiffrey's  book  also 
has,  what  the  other  book  lacks,  an  adequate  index. 

Guiffrey  Seizieme  is  a  folio  volume  by  Jules  Guiffrey, 
entitled  Les  Tapisseries  and  covering  the  centuries 
XII  to  XVI.  It  is  volume  VI  of  Molinier's 
Histoire  Generale  desArts  Appliques  a  l'lndustrie 
and  was  published  in  Paris,  191 1.  It  has  98  half- 
tone illustrations  in  the  text  in  addition  to  15 
photographic  pages,  and  an  excellent  index. 

Fenaille  Gobelins,  Guiffrey  Gobelins,  Badin  Beauvais, 
are  the  most  important  books  on  the  French 
National  Looms.  Of  Maurice  Fenaille's  Etat 
General  des  Tapisseries  de  la  Manufacture  des 
Gobelins  (1600- 1900),  three  volumes  have  been 
published,  the  first  covering  the  years  1 662-1 699, 
the  second  1 699-1 736,  the  third  1 737-1 794,  with 
introductory  and  final  volumes  still  to  come. 
Volume  II  bears  the  date  1903.  The  three  volumes 
already  issued  contain  over  225  full-page  photo- 
graphic illustrations  besides  line  drawings  on  the 
text  pages.  Everything  is  given  that  could  throw 
light  on  the  product  and  activities  of  the  Gobelins, 
and  the  book  is  rich  with  documents  and  records 
printed  in  full  without  change.  Jules  Guiffrey's 
Les  Gobelins  et  Beauvais,  Paris,  1908,  is  an  attrac- 
tive and  inexpensive  little  volume  with  94  illustra- 
tions in  half-tone,  and  bibliography  of  the  15 
principal  books  on  these  two  ateliers.  There  is 
no  index.  Jules  Badin's  La  Manufacture  de 
Tapisseries  de  Beauvais,  Paris,  1909,  prints  a 
wealth  of  records  bearing  on  the  history  of  the 


nihnniiHMihiffi^nihf^^iiffitjiUiivH^ouiiSiM'iiiHMHuimffliuniuayHifiiHH 


332  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

establishment  and  gives  30  large  photographic 
illustrations  of  tapestries  woven  at  Beauvais, 
among  these  a  number  of  the  famous  ones  designed 
for  the  Beauvais  works  by  Francois  Boucher.  M. 
Guiffrey  being  manager  (administrateur)  of  the 
Gobelins,  and  M.  Badin  of  the  Beauvais  factory, 
they  had  unusual  opportunities  to  get  familiar 
with  the  facts. 
Valencia  Spanish,  Birk  Austrian,  Guichard  French, 
Boettiger  Swedish,  are  the  most  important  volumes 
on  national  collections.  Count  Valencia  de  Don 
Juan's  Tapices  de  la  Corona  de  Espana,  Madrid, 
1903,  in  two  portfolio  volumes,  contains  135  large 
photographic  illustrations  of  tapestries  in  the  Royal 
Spanish  Collection,  mostly  XVI  century  Flemish 
tapestries  of  the  highest  quality,  with  short  de- 
scriptions in  French  and  reproductions  in  line  of 
the  marks  and  signatures.  Dr.  Ernst  Ritter  von 
Birk's  Inventar  der  im  Besitze  des  Allerhochsten 
Kaiserhauses  Befindlichen  Niederlander  Tapeten 
und  Gobelins  was  published  in  the  first  four  vol- 
umes, Vienna,  1883-86,  of  the  Jahrbuch  der 
Kunsthistorischen  Sammlungen  des  Allerhochsten 
Kaiserhauses  and  contains  74  large  photographic 
illustrations  of  tapestries,  mostly  of  the  XVI 
century,  in  the  Imperial  Austrian  Collection. 
The  text  is  a  descriptive  inventory  with  line 
reproduction  of  marks  and  signatures  of  the 
entire  collection,  non-illustrated  as  well  as  illus- 
trated. The  index  is  on  pages  217-220  of  volume 
II.     Ed.   Guichard's  Les  Tapisseries  Decoratives 


IffiBnifliHiHHnBK 


ANIMALS  FIGHTING 

PLATE  no.  333.  Animals  Fighting,  a  XVII  century  Gobelin  tapestry  at  the  Ashmolean  Museum  of  Oxford 
University,  one  of  the  Old  Indies  taken  from  eight  paintings  presented  to  Louis  XIV  by  the  Prince  of -Nassau,  and 
"painted  on  the  spot."  The  first  high  warp  set  of  the  Indies  was  presented  to  the  Russian  Emperor  Peter  the  Great 
when  he  visited  the  Gobelins  in  i7r7,  and  was  used  as  a  model  at  the  St.  Petersburg  works  founded  by  him 
(See  chapter  VI).  The  tapestry  illustrated  on  this  page  bears  the  signature  of  JANS  and  is  believed  to  have  been 
presented  by  Louis  XIV  to  the  Chinese  Emperor.  At  any  rate  after  150  years  it  and  its  companions  in  the  Groult 
collection  were  discovered  in  one  of  the  imperial  godowns  at  Yuen-Ming-Yuen  when  the  place  was  looted  in 
1861.  The  Chinese  inventory  ticket  dated  1771  read:  "one  piece  of  tapestry  with  human  figure  in  feathers," 
evidently  representing  the  ticket  writer's  idea  of  "foreign  devils." 


334  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

du  Garde-Meuble  (French  National  Collection), 
in  two  volumes,  with  text  by  Alfred  Darcel, 
published  in  Paris,  1881,  contains  87  large  photo- 
graphic illustrations  mostly  of  XVII  and  XVIII 
century  Gobelins  with  only  a  few  Flemish,  Early 
XVII  century  Paris,  and  Mortlake.  The  intro- 
duction by  Darcel  is  interesting,  and  so  are  his 
descriptions,  but  the  failure  to  give  sizes  lessens 
the  value  of  the  book  greatly.  Dr.  John 
Boettiger's  Svenska  Statens  Samling  af  Vafda 
Tapeter  is  a  de  luxe  book,  in  four  volumes  on  hand- 
made paper,  published  in  Stockholm,  1898.  It 
contains  150  folio  pages  of  illustrations  of  XVI, 
XVII,  XVII I  century  tapestries — Gobelins,  Beau- 
vais,  and  Mortlake  as  well  as  Flemish — in  the 
Royal  Swedish  Collection.  The  descriptive  in- 
ventory in  volume  III  is  the  best  ever  published, 
with  accurate  and  adequate  descriptions,  and 
with  line  illustrations  of  marks  and  signatures. 
The  fact  that  it  is  in  Swedish,  like  the  rest  of  the 
first  three  volumes,  will  lessen  its  value  for  general 
use.  Fortunately  volume  IV,  in  French,  contains 
a  translation  of  the  more  important  chapters  that 
tell  admirably  the  history  of  tapestry-weaving  in 
Sweden  and  of  the  acquisition  of  tapestries  from 
foreign  countries.  Volume  IV  also  contains 
a  list  in  French  of  the  illustrations  in  all  four 
volumes,  and  three  indices — one  of  painters  and 
designers,  one  of  master  weavers  and  proprietors, 
one  of  subjects  pictured  in  the  tapestries. 
Belgium    1880,  Brussels    1905,  Decoratifs   1882,  are 


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336  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

three  books  important  in  a  tapestry  library, 
illustrating  and  describing  expositions.  Especially 
valuable  is  the  first,  entitled  Les  Tapisseries 
Historiees  a  l'Exposition  Beige  de  1880,  published 
in  Brussels,  1881,  by  the  artist  H.  F.  Keuller, 
with  text  by  Alphonse  Wauters.  The  introductory 
text  is  interesting,  but  the  list  of  tapestries  ex- 
hibited, as  well  as  the  list  of  127  folio  pages  of 
photographic  illustrations  (several  in  colour),  is 
not  sufficiently  descriptive  and  does  not  even  give 
sizes.  The  names  of  the  exhibitors — among  them 
Somzee,  Spitzer,  Erlanger,  the  King  of  Spain, 
Braquenie,  Florence  Museum,  the  Beguinage  de 
Saint  Trond,  Prince  Hohenzollern,  City  of  Ghent 
— appear  under  the  illustrations  and  in  the  list 
of  illustrations.  Plates  113,  114  give  line  illus- 
trations of  tapestry  marks  and  monograms.  Plates 
115  to  127  give  photographic  illustrations  of  border 
details.  Brussels  1905,  is  my  abbreviation  for 
Joseph  Destree's  Tapisseries  et  Sculptures  Bruxel- 
loises  a  l'Exposition  d'Art  Ancien  Bruxellois, 
Juillet  a  Octobre,  1905,  published  in  Brussels  in 
1906.  M.  Destree's  descriptions  of  the  32  photo- 
graphic illustrations  of  tapestries  (one  cartoon) 
are  adequate  and  interesting.  Among  the  tapes- 
tries illustrated  are  the  Gothic  Annunciation, 
Adoration  of  the  Magi,  Louis  XV  raising  the 
Siege  of  Salins,  belonging  to  the  Museum  of  the 
Gobelins;  Mr.  Morgan's  Mazarin  tapestry  now 
lent  to  the  Metropolitan  Museum ;  the  Brussels  Mu- 
seum's Notre  Dame  du  Sablon;   in  colour,  M.  Le- 


H^LMn^«nmi«n<i<«n(nmjm!anffinu!J!;H«^iJ!{j^i:!fiiiTrij«njOfflnffln5Bflln? 


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338  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

roy's  exceedingly  interesting  Late  Gothic  triptych 
tapestry;  the  Presentation  of  Jesus  at  the  Temple; 
the  Brussels  Museum's  Late  Gothic  Descent  from 
the  Cross;  and  a  section  of  the  Late  Gothic 
Bathsheba  at  the  Fountain  belonging  to  the  city 
of  Brussels.  Decoratifs,  1882,  is  my  abbreviation 
for  Les  Arts  du  Bois,  des  Tissus  et  du  Papier, 
published  in  Paris  in  1883,  that  reproduces  in  line 
the  principal  objects  exhibited  at  the  Seventh 
Exposition  in  Paris  in  1882  of  the  Union  Centrale 
des  Arts  Decoratifs.  Pages  1 1 1  to  134  are  devoted 
to  tapestry. 

Paris  1900,  is  my  abbreviation  for  the  invaluable 
though  unillustrated  report  of  the  international 
jury  for  Class  70,  Tapis,  Tapisseries  et  Autres 
Tissus  d'Ameublement  by  Ferdinand  Leborgne. 
At  this  exposition  Grand  Prizes  for  tapestry-weav- 
ing were  awarded  to  the  French  national  works 
of  the  Gobelins  and  of  Beauvais;  to  three  French 
private  firms;  and  to  the  English  works  established 
by  William  Morris,  at  Merton  near  London,  for  the 
set  of  four  picturing  the  Quest  of  the  Holy  Grail 
and  designed  by  Sir  Edward  Burne-Jone&.  A 
noteworthy  feature  of  the  exposition  was  the 
exhibition  of  ancient  Flemish  tapestries  from  the 
Royal  Spanish  Collection. 

Bruges  1907,  designates  the  exquisitely  printed  and 
illustrated  Chefs-d'oeuvres  d'Art  Ancien  a  l'Ex- 
position  de  la  Toison  d'Or  at  Bruges  in  1907, 
published  in  Brussels,  1908.  It  is  important  not 
only  for  the  illustrations  and  descriptions  of  two 


m<M^w;w<Ht!!n«in«i!^snRffinjajiifi«i?j|jjjJ|ji!nj;iilllinii 


CALVARY 

PLATE  no.  339.  Calvary,  Renaissance  tapestry  after  Barend  Van  Orley,  sold  at  the  Berwick  and  Alba  sale  in 
1877  for  $5000,  at  the  Dollfus  sale  in  1912  for  S6o,ooo  besides  charges.  Woven  in  Brussels  in  the  first  part  of  the  XVI 
century,  of  wool  and  silk  enriched  with  gold.  Eleven  feet  five  inches  square.  Reddish  border  of  floriate  branches 
loaded  with  fruit.  In  the  middle,  Christ  crucified  beneath  the  inscription  in  Hebrew,  Greek  and  Latin,  JESUS  OF 
NAZARETH  KING  OF  THE  JEWS.  On  either  side,  the  two  robbers  bound  to  their  crosses.  At  the  feet  of  Christ, 
two  holy  women  richly  clothed.  In  the  foreground  on  the  left,  the  Virgin  fainted,  sustained  by  two  other  holy  women. 
Behind  this  group,  Saint  John  running  up,  with  hands  clasped  above  his  head.  In  the  foreground  on  the  right,  the 
executioner  gathering  up  his  tools.  Behind  him  two  soldiers  and  numerous  other  personages,  some  mounted.  In 
the  background,  hills  and  valleys  and  woods  and  buildings. 


340  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

of  the  three  Esther  and  Ahasuerus  tapestries  lent 
by  the  Cathedral  of  Saragossa,  but  also  and 
particularly  for  the  illustrations  of  ancient  portraits 
and  of  coats  of  arms,  of  Knights  of  the  Toison 
d'Or.  Among  the  portraits  are  three  of  Philip 
the  Good  Duke  of  Burgundy  by  Rogier  Van  Der 
Weyden,  Philip  the  Good  and  his  wife  Isabella  of 
Portugal,  Charles  the  Bold  and  his  wife  Isabella 
of  Bourbon,  Margaret  of  York  third  wife  of  Charles 
the  Bold,  the  Emperor  Maximilian  I,  Margaret  of 
Austria  by  Barend  Van  Orley,  the  Emperor 
Charles  V,  Charles's  brother  Ferdinand  I.  The 
full  descriptive  list  of  the  22  tapestries  exhibited 
is  given  on  pages  109  to  118  of  the  small  illus- 
trated catalogue  of  the  exposition. 
Sale  catalogues  I  shall  refer  to  by  the  name  of  the 
owner  followed  by  the  word  Sale  and  the  year. 
For  instance,  to  the  catalogue  of  the  Duke  of 
Hamilton  sale,  in  London,  1882,  as  Hamilton  Sale 
1882;  to  the  catalogue  of  the  sale  of  the  collection 
of  the  Duke  of  Berwick  and  Alba,  in  Paris  in  1877, 
as  Alba  Sale  1877;  to  the  catalogue  of  the  sale  of 
the  Somzee  collection  of  tapestries  in  Brussels, 
1901,  as  Somzee  Sale  1901;  to  the  sale  catalogue 
of  the  collection  of  Frederic  Spitzer,  as  Spitzer 
Sale  1903.  Incidentally  I  would  remark  that  the 
Library  of  the  Metropolitan  Museum  has  an  ex- 
ceedingly large  and  valuable  collection  of  sale 
catalogues.  Of  the  Hamilton  Sale  it  has  both  the 
catalogue  published  before  the  sale,  and  the  one 
published  afterwards  with  prices.     The  Alba  cata- 


m»snni(»^n^»nninn}fin)ui!iiii»»»]!i»i:i»ii»HH]^ni!iniMuiiifiiHi 


BAPTISM    AND  DESCENT 

PLATE  no.  341.  The  Baptism  of  Christ  and  the  Descent  from  the  Cross,  two  Early  Renais- 
sance tapestries,  the  former  2.24  metres  by  2.67,  the  latter  3  metres  by  3.28,  both  in  the  Brussels 
Museum.  Behind  the  baptism  scene  are  pictured  the  three  temptations  of  Jesus  by  the  devil. 
One  of  the  personages  in  the  Descent  bears  on  the  border  of  his  robe  the  name  "Philiep,"  which 
is  supposed  to  be  the  signature  of  the  artist,  Master  Philip.    The  Descent  was  purchased  in  1861 

tr.r   -  «-.-   fronoc         Tko    Roiticm    fnrmorlv    hplnncrprl    tn    tho    Rprwirl    a  n  H    Alha    CcUnrUnn      anrl     tn 


342  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

logue  is  a  much  handsomer  publication  than  the 
Hamilton  one,  and  contains  a  number  of  very 
beautiful  photographic  illustrations  of  tapestries, 
among  them  the  Passion,  2.45  metres  by  2.25,  that 
is  now  owned  by  Mr.  George  Blumenthal;  Cal- 
vary, 3.50  metres  square,  that  sold  in  1877  for 
$5,000  and  at  the  Doll fus  Sale  19 12,  in  Paris  for 
$60,000;  three  large  tapestries  picturing  Victories 
of  the  Duke  of  Alba,  two  of  them  signed  with  the 
Brussels  mark  and  one  with  the  monogram  of 
Willem  Van  Pannemaker;  a  wonderful  series  of 
Late  Gothic  tapestries  picturing  the  Creation, 
Christ  Inspiring  Faith,  New  Testament  Scenes, 
Combat  of  Vices  and  Virtues,  Triumph  of  Chris- 
tianity, the  Last  Judgment,  averaging  13  feet  high 
by  26  wide;  two  out  of  a  set  of  five  large  Renais- 
sance Brussels  tapestries  picturing  the  Story  of 
Vertumnus  and  Pomona,  four  of  which  were 
recently  on  sale  in  New  York.  In  the  Somzee 
catalogue  numbers  521  to  606  are  tapestries  of 
which  nearly  one-half  are  shown  in  large  photo- 
graphic illustrations.  From  the  tapestry  point  of 
view,  the  Somzee  sale  was  the  most  important  ever 
held.  The  descriptions  in  the  catalogue  are  ex- 
cellent. In  the  Spitzer  sale  catalogue,  numbers 
394  to  417  are  tapestries,  and  there  are  photogra- 
phic illustrations  of  14  of  them  on  plates  IX  to 
XII  of  volume  III,  while  a  supplementary  volume 
gives  the  prices  obtained.  Other  European  sales, 
important  from  the  tapestry  point  of  view,  are 
those   of   Louis    Philippe    1852,    Castellani    1866. 


H 


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344  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Gunzbourg   1884,   Chateau  de  V 1884,  all 

of  which  are  listed  with  prices  in  the  appendix 
of  Guiffrey  Ilistoire,  who  also  gives  the  prices  re- 
ceived at  the  Berwick  and  Alba  and  many  mis- 
cellaneous sales  before  1886. 

Suzanne  Sale  19 10.  Among  other  photographic 
illustrations  in  the  catalogue  of  the  tapestries 
coming  from  the  Chateau  de  Suzanne,  and  sold 
in  Amsterdam  in  1910,  are  three  out  of  a  set  of 
five  tapestries  on  the  Story  of  Artemisia.  One 
of  the  five  pieces  is  signed  with  the  monogram  of 
F.  M.  and  several  with  the  Paris  mark,  a  P  with 
fleurs-de-lis.  The  set  was  designed  and  first 
woven  as  testimony  of  the  sorrow  of  Catherine 
at  the  death  of  Henri  II.  It  pictured  the  events 
of  a  long  poem  composed  by  Nicolas  Honel,  in 
which  Henri  II  figures  as  King  Mausolus,  and 
Catherine  as  Queen  Artemisia,  and  the  young 
prince,  Charles  IX,  as  Lygdamis.  The  designs 
were  by  Antoine  Caron  and  Henri  Lerambert. 
The  tapestries  are  4.10  metres  high  and  vary  in 
width  from  1.52  to  5.72. 

San  Donato  Sale  1880  (Demidoff).  One  of  the  great- 
est decorative  art  sales  ever  known  was  at  Florence 
in  1880.  Prince  Demidoff  offered  to  the  public 
the  treasures  of  the  famous  palace  of  San  Donato. 
Among  the  important  tapestries,  some  illustrated 
in  the  catalogue  in  line,  were  nos.  4,  36  (five 
Bouchers);  109  (set  of  nine  large  Flemish  tapes- 
tries, one  signed  K  V  MANDER,  FECIT.  AN. 
1619,  except  that  the  K  and  the  V  combine  with 


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346  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

the  M  into  a  monogram  initial) ;  398  (Late  Gothic 
Madonna  with  Concert  of  Angels  2.40  metres  by 
2.85);  435  (Calvary);  1525-28,  1697-1700  (eight 
large  XVII  century  Flemish  tapestries  picturing 
the  Story  of  Titus);  1927,  1936  (both  Gobelins); 
1939  (Late  Gothic  Last  Judgment  4.25  metres  by 
8.20). 

Among  American  sale  catalogues  that  illustrate 
tapestries  are:  Marquand  1903,  nos.  1316-32; 
White  1907,  nos.  162,  163,  164,  222,  223;  Poor  1909, 
Garland  1909,  Yerkes  19 10,  nos.  229-242;  Hoe  191 1, 
nos.  2936-41;  Robb  1912.  The  illustrations  in  the 
Yerkes  catalogue  are  photographic  and  of  unusual 
excellence,  particularly  the  four  Gobelin  Loves  of 
the  Gods,  the  large  Renaissance  tapestry  and  the 
six  Tenieres. 

Some  collectors  like  to  have  catalogues  of  their 
collections  prepared  while  they  are  still  alive,  under 
their  own  direction.  Extremely  interesting  to  tap- 
estry lovers  are  the  catalogues  of  the  Spitzer  Collec- 
tion 1890,  Pannwitz  Collection  1905,  Le  Roy  Collec- 
tion 1908.  The  Spitzer  catalogue,  partly  completed 
at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1890,  is  most  elaborate, 
with  six  huge  folio  volumes  of  text  and  six  of  pho- 
tographic plates.  The  tapestries,  23  in  number, 
are  described  interestingly  by  Eugene  Miintz  in 
text-volume  I;  and  in  plate-volume  I  there  are 
splendid  colour  illustrations  of  seven.  On  the  death 
of  M.  Spitzer,  Edmond  Bonnaffe  published  a  little 
volume  of  appreciation  entitled  Le  Musee  Spitzer. 
Volume    IV   of   the   catalogue   of   the   collection   of 


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348  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Martin    Le    Roy    contains    14    large    photographic 
illustrations  of  tapestries,  with  most  elaborate  and 
learned  descriptions  by  J.  J.  Marquet  de  Wesselot. 
Kann  Collection  1907.      Description  and  photogra- 
phic illustrations  are  alike  excellent  in  the  superb 
two-volume   folio   catalogue   of   the   collection   of 
Rodolphe  Kann.     Nos.  236  to  241   are  Beauvais 
tapestries,  splendid  examples  and  all  illustrated — 
three    picturing   scenes   from  Moliere's  Comedies 
after  designs  by  Oudry,  five  belonging  to  the  series 
the  Noble  Pastorale  after  designs  by  Boucher. 
Inventories    often    contain    valuable    information 
about  tapestries.     Among  the  most  important  ones 
are    the    Charles   I   Inventory  1649,  in  no.  4898    of 
the  Harleian  Manuscripts  at  the  British  Museum, 
the  tapestry  part  of  which  is  printed  by  Thomson 
on  pages  351  to  395;    the  Mazarin    Inventory  1653, 
published  with  additions  and  some  prices  that  bring 
it  partially  up  to  1661,  in  London,  1861,  by  the  Duke 
d'Aumale;     the    Louis  XIV  Inventory  17 15,  edited 
by  Jules  Guiffrey  and  published  in  two  volumes  in 
Paris,  1885,  of  which   pages  293  to  374  are  devoted 
to  tapestries.     Many   other    important  tapestry  in- 
ventories are  to  be  found  in  whole  or  in  part  in  the 
Histoire  Generate  and  in  Thomson. 

Museum  Guides  and  periodical  publications  give 
some  but  not  enough  information  about  the  tapes- 
tries the  museums  contain.  Considerable  printed 
matter  about  the  tapestries  of  the  Metropolitan 
Museum  is  distributed  through  the  various  numbers 
of  the  Bulletin  of  that  institution.     The  only  im- 


4H»nm<»n^^n^ni»?sn!n»»5n!»u«un^»m^»^i»ftM$»»mimun^aui!iHiiiiii» 


TATE5TRIE5— TTTFTR  ORIGIN" 

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352  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Court  Catalogue  of  the  Pictures  and  Tapestries  at 
that  palace,  London,  1905,  also  by  Ernest  Law, 
contains  inadequate  descriptions  of  the  tapestries 
and  of  the  famous  Mantegna  cartoons,  and  small 
illustrations  in  line  and  in  half-tones  of  some  of 
them.  E.  du  Sommerard's  Catalogue  du  Musee 
des  Thermes  et  de  l'Hotel  de  Cluny,  Paris,  1883, 
devotes  pages  494-505  and  678-681  to  tapestries 
(nos.  6284-6339  and  103 1 6-1035 1)  giving  the  sizes 
of  most.  Dr.  Theodor  Hampe's  Katalog  of  the 
Gewebesammlung  des  Germanischen  National  Mu- 
seums of  Nuremberg  contains  excellent  descriptions 
of  tapestries  in  that  museum  with  photographic 
illustrations  of  seven  (one  of  them  attributed  to 
the  year  1400),  and  line  illustrations  of  signatures. 
Munich  Guide,  otherwise  the  Fiihrer  durch  das 
Bayerische  National-Museum  in  Miinchen  is  ar- 
ranged by  rooms  and  gives  brief  descriptions  of 
the  tapestries  they  contain,  together  with  valuable 
information  on  the  subject  of  tapestry-weaving 
in  Munich  and  in  Lauingen  in  past  centuries,  of 
which    the    museum    shows    numerous    examples. 

Munich  Neubau  means  the  folio  volume  Der  Neubau 
des  Bayerischen  National-Museum  in  Miinchen, 
published  in  Munich  in  1902.  The  illustrations 
are  in  half-tone  and  show  the  tapestries  not 
separately  but  as  part  of  the  rooms  in  which  they 
hang. 

Laking  Windsor,  Florence  Tapestries,  Naples  Museum. 
Guy  Francis  Laking  in  his  superb  volume,  the  Fur- 
niture of  Windsor  Castle,  describes  28  and  gives 


354  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

large  photographic  illustrations  of  3  tapestries. 
He  also  prints  on  pages  179-199  the  Windsor  part 
of  the  Henry  VIII  Inventory,  in  which  tapestry 
"  Hangyngs  "  lead.  Florence  Tapestries  is  the  guide 
to  the  Gallery  of  Tapestries  in  Florence  published 
by  D.  Appleton  &  Co.  in  New  York  in  189 1.  It 
contains  very  brief  descriptions  of  123  tapestries 
and  a  short  introduction.  It  is  volume  XXVII  of 
Miscellaneous  Pamphlets  at  the  Metropolitan 
Museum.  Pages  146-148  of  the  Illustrated  Guide 
to  the  National  Museum  in  Naples  are  devoted  to 
an  excellent  description  of  the  set  of  seven  tapestries 
designed  by  Barend  Van  Orley  and  picturing  the 
defeat  and  capture  of  Francis  I  by  Charles  V  at 
Pavia. 
Farcy  Angers,  Angers  Apocalypse.  A  very  valuable 
book  is  the  Histoire  et  Description  des  Tapisserie 
de  l'Eglise  Cathedrale  d'Angers  by  L.  de  Farcy, 
director  of  the  Musee  Diocesain,  Angers,  1897. 
Founded  upon  the  Abbe  Barbier  de  Montaults's 
Tapisseries  du  Sacre  d'Angers,  1858,  it  gives  much 
additional  information.  It  describes  in  detail  the 
wonderful  XIV  century  set  that  pictures  the 
Apocalypse,  and  also  other  sets  belonging  to  the 
Cathedral  of  Angers,  among  them  the  Passion 
in  four  pieces,  the  Discovery  of  the  True  Cross,  the 
Story  of  St.  Martin,  Mary  Magdalen,  the  Story  of 
St.  Saturnin,  the  Instruments  of  the  Passion, 
Trojan  War  Episode,  Pierre  de  Rohan  and  the 
Organ,  John  the  Baptist,  the  Story  of  St.  Maurille, 
the   Story   of  Joseph.     Angers  Apocalypse.     Les 


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>'M.'l.>flOHB| 


HENRI     AND     CATHERINE 

PLATE  no.  355.  Fete  of  the  French  Sovereigns  Henri  II  and  Catherine  de'  Me'dicis,  one  of  a  set  of  Late  Renais- 
sance tapestries  in  the  Florence  Tapestry  Museum.  In  design  and  weave  it  closely  resembles  another  tapestry  in  the 
same  museum  that  is  signed  FRANCISCUS  .  SPIRINGIUS  .  FECIT  .  ANNO  .  1602. 

This  is  the  Francois  Spierinx  of  Delft  who  wove  for  the  English  Crown  from  the  designs  of  Cornelius  Van  Vroom 
of  Haarlem,  the  set  of  ten  picturing  the  Defeat  of  the  Spanish  Armada,  which  hung  in  the  House  of  Lords  until  des- 
troyed by  fire  in  1834,  and  the  designs  of  which  have  been  preserved  by  the  engravings  of  John  Pine  made  about  1789. 


356  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Tapisseries  de  la  Cathedral  d'Angers,  published 
in  Leipzig  in  1892,  contains  72  excellent  photo- 
graphs of  the  whole  of  the  Apocalypse  set.  There 
are  copies  of  this  book  in  the  Avery  Library  and 
in  the  Library  of  the  Metropolitan  Museum. 

Cox  Lyons.  Raymond  Cox's  l'Art  de  Decorer  les 
Tissus  is  a  monumental  volume  containing  illus- 
trations, some  in  colour  and  some  in  half-tone,  of 
Coptic  tapestries,  a  half-size  illustration  in  colour 
of  a  fragment  of  the  famous  St.  Gereon  tapestry 
and  very  large  half-tone  illustrations  of  other  im- 
portant tapestries  belonging  to  the  Historical 
Museum  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Lyons. 

Destrce  Cinquantenaire.  Les  Tapisseries  des  M usees 
Royaux  des  Cinquantenaire  by  Joseph  Destree 
and  P.  Van  Den  Ven,  Brussels,  1910,  an  inexpen- 
sive but  excellent  little  book  containing  44  pages 
of  half-tones  of  tapestries  in  the  Brussels  Royal 
Museums,  together  with  descriptions  of  the  tap- 
estries and  a  brief  but  valuable  introduction. 

Reims  Peintes.  Toiles  Peintes  de  la  Ville  de  Reims, 
by  Louis  Paris,  Paris,  1880,  has  two  quarto 
volumes  of  text,  and  one  large  album  with  line 
engravings  by  C.  Leberthais  that  illustrate  the 
Gothic  painted  cloths  [counterfeit  arras]  now  in 
the  Museum  of  Reims.  Of  these  cloths  there  are 
12  picturing  the  Passion  of  Christ,  7  the  Vengeance 
of  Our  Lord,  that  had  its  climax  in  the  capture 
and  ruin  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus  and  the  selling  of 
the  Jews  into  slavery,  4  the  Story  of  Suzanne,  1 
from   the  Story  of  Judith,    1    from   the  Story  of 


tfifoSi 


358  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Esther,  i  the  Apostles.  Curiously  interesting 
in  this  Passion  series  is  the  Piscina  Probatica,  a 
small  pond  near  Jerusalem  whose  waters  cured 
ills  of  the  flesh.  The  text  volumes  give  an  ex- 
haustive resume  with  copious  extracts,  of  the 
Old  French  miracle  plays  which  inspired  the 
painters  of  these  cloths  and  many  of  the  scenes 
of  which,  as  actually  put  upon  the  stage,  were 
reproduced  on  canvas.  Also  illustrated  and  de- 
scribed by  M.  Louis,  with  quotations  from  the 
old  chronicles,  are  the  Clovis  tapestries  that 
belong  to  the  Cathedral  of  Reims. 

Reims  Tapisseries.  Charles  Loriquet's  Tapisseries 
de  la  Cathedrale  de  Reims,  Paris,  1882,  gives  large 
illustrations  of  the  two  huge  (over  15  by  27  feet) 
tapestries  remaining  at  the  Cathedral  of  Reims 
out  of  an  original  set  of  six  picturing  the  Story  of 
Clovis,  the  first  Christian  King  of  France,  and  the 
part  the  Archbishop  of  Reims  had  in  his  conversion 
and  in  the  founding  of  the  kingdom.  There  are 
also  large  photographic  illustrations  of  the  set 
of  17  Gothic-Renaissance  tapestries  picturing  the 
Story  of  the  Virgin.  The  descriptions  of  the 
tapestries  and  the  introductory  article  on  Tapestry 
at  the  Cathedral  of  Reims  are  of  unusual  excellence. 
All  of  the  tapestry  captions  are  printed  in  full, 
with  French  translations  of  the  Latin  ones. 

Raphael  Vatican,  Astier  Scipio.  Les  Tapisseries  de 
Raphael  au  Vatican  by  Eugene  Muntz,  Paris, 
1897,  is  a  study  into  the  origin  and  execution  of 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  tapestries  designed   by 


^)-uiiiiiHu»iiH«»U(»uiM»iiiii}ii»ua)iM 


.5    o    p  -s 


360  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Raphael  for  Pope  Leo.  It  contains  large  photo- 
graphic illustrations  of  the  seven  cartoons  now 
at  the  Victoria  and  Albert  Museum  in  South 
Kensington,  line  illustrations  of  Volpato's  and 
Ottaviani's  engravings  of  the  borders,  half-tone 
illustrations  of  the  borders  that  survive  as  part 
of  the  Vatican  tapestries,  together  with  numerous 
illustrations  of  the  set  of  tapestries  in  the  Vatican 
entitled  Scenes  from  the  Life  of  Christ,  and  of 
other  tapestries  wrongly  attributed  to  Raphael. 
La  Belle  Tapisserie  du  Roy  by  Colonel  d'Astier, 
Paris,  1907,  is  an  interesting  and  exhaustive  study 
of  Renaissance  and  later  tapestries  picturing  the 
Story  of  Scipio. 

Cham  pea  ux  Tapestry  is  one  of  the  South  Kensington 
handbooks  published  in  1878.  While  now  out 
of  date,  it  was  most  helpful  at  the  time,  con- 
taining an  index,  and  a  descriptive  list  of  the 
principal  public  tapestry  collections  in  the  world. 

Rossi  Arazzo  is  a  little  inexpensive  volume  pub- 
lished in  Milan  in  1907.  While  it  is  purely  and 
simply  a  compilation,  as  far  as  the  historical  part 
is  concerned,  it  contains  half-tone  illustrations  of 
a  number  of  important  old  tapestries  in  Italian 
collections,  and  of  several  modern  ones  woven  on 
high  warp  looms  in  Rome.  It  has  a  bibliography, 
two  indexes,  line  illustrations  of  marks  and  signa- 
tures, and  line  and  half-tone  illustrations  of  the 
processes  of  high-warp  weaving. 

Gentili  Arazzi  is  a  volume  entitled  Arazzi  Antichie 
Moderni,  by  Cav.   Pietro  Gentili,  director  of  the 


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■HIHi^iiiliiSilHiiiiliiilUiiiiU^iilUiiililiiUiiUKi 


362  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

tapestry  works  in  the  Vatican,  Rome  1897.  He 
describes  and  illustrates  in  large  half-tone  colour 
plates  five  pieces  of  Late  Gothic  tapestry  about  six 
feet  square  that  he  had  recently  repaired  for  the 
Hon.  Wayne  MacVeagh,  at  that  time  United  States 
Ambassador  to  Italy.  He  also  illustrates  in  colour 
a  high-warp  loom  with  partly  finished  tapestry  of 
St.  Joseph. 

Goya  Tapices  is  a  small  volume  published  in  Madrid 
in  1870,  Los  Tapices  de  Goya,  by  D.  G.  Cruzada 
Villaamil.  It  tells  the  story  of  the  92  tapestries 
woven,  some  on  high  warp,  some  on  low  warp, 
looms  in  the  Santa  Barbara  royal  tapestry  works 
in  Madrid  in  the  latter  part  of  the  XVIII  century 
at  a  cost  of  624,000  reales,  after  45  cartoons  by 
Don  Francisco  de  Goya  that  cost  124,000  reales. 
Chapter  VI  gives  the  history  of  the  Spanish 
tapestry  works  of  Santa  Barbara  founded  in 
1 72 1  at  Madrid,  of  Seville  in  1730,  of  Santa 
Isabel  at  Madrid  in  1734.  Williams  Spam. 
Pages  137-159  of  volume  III  of  Leonard  Williams' 
Arts  and  Crafts  of  Olden  Spain  contains  a  brief 
history  of  tapestry  in  that  country. 

Christie,  Hooper.  Books  that  will  help  to  a  knowledge 
of  the  practical  side  of  tapestry-weaving  are 
Christie's  Embroidery  and  Tapestry  Weaving  and 
Hooper's  Handloom  Weaving,  both  in  Lethaby's 
Artistic  Crafts  series. 

Lessing  Wandteppiche.  Die  Wandteppiche  aus  dem 
Leben  desErzvaters  Jacob,  by  Julius  Lessing,  Berlin, 
1900,  contains  15  extra  large  photographic  illustra- 


l^iiiJljyiiilisiSiitiliiiiiiiiilihiSiiiiiihiliiiiitiij!.:* 


tut 


SAINT  PETER 

PLATE  no.  363.  The  Angel  Delivers  St.  Peter.  Gothic  tapestry  in  the  Cluny  Museum,  2.75  metres  by  2.25,  bearing 
the  arms  of  Guillaume  de  Hellande,  Bishop  of  Beauvais  from  1444  to  1462,  and  of  the  local  chapter.  Note  Paix,  the 
Latin  for  peace,  distributed  over  the  surface.  The  inscription  at  the  top  in  French  reads:  "How  the  angel  led  St.  Peter 
out  of  the  prison  of  Herod."  The  inscription  over  the  door  in  Latin  reads:  "Now  I  know  surely  because  God  has  sent 
his  angel."     The  other  pieces  of  the  set  are  in  the  Beauvais  Cathedral. 


364  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

tions  of  a  set  of  ten  Story  of  Jacob  privately  owned 
Renaissance  tapestries,  with  descriptions  of  all. 

Grosch  Norwegian  designates  H.  Grosch's  Gamle 
Norske  Billedtaepper  published  in  Berlin  1901 
with  text  in  both  Norwegian  and  German  by  the 
Art  Industrial  Museum  of  Christiania.  These 
large  colour  plates  illustrating  twelve  old  tapes- 
tries woven  in  Norway  in  the  XVI,  XVII,  and 
XVIII  centuries. 

Hoentschel  Collections.  In  volume  IV  of  the  Collec- 
tiones  Georges  Hoentschel,  Paris,  1908,  are  large 
photographic  illustrations  of  Esther  and  Ahasuerus, 
a  Gothic  tapestry  illustrated  on  my  plate  no.  35; 
Jesus  among  the  Doctors,  and  the  Marriage  of 
Cana,  a  Late  Gothic  tapestry,  the  latter  part  of 
which  is  illustrated  on  my  plate  no.  39;  the 
Massacre  of  the  Innocents,  and  the  Flight  into 
Egypt,  a  companion  piece  to  the  preceding;  two 
Late  Gothic  Morality  tapestries;  a  Scene  from 
a  Romance;  a  Late  Gothic  verdure  with  person- 
ages Hunting  Scene;  all  lent  by  Mr.  Morgan  to 
the  Metropolitan  Museum. 

Schumann  Trojan  is  my  abbreviation  for  Dr.  Paul 
Schumann's  Trojanische  Krieg,  Dresden,  1898, 
one  large  folio  volume  of  8  photographic  plates 
illustrating  the  eight  original  XV  century  colour 
sketches  from  which  were  woven  the  Trojan 
War  Gothic  tapestries  at  South  Kensington  (no. 
6,  1887),  and  in  the  Courthouse  of  Issoire  a  little 
town  in  the  South  of  France  about  75  miles  west 
of  Lyons.     The    accompanying  text  volume  also 


3hti!ii<ii<iii]i!fttthi:ih< 


iiiiiWiiiiiWiiliiu^iiiiiiliiiitiililB 


366  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

contains  small  illustrations  of  the  tapestries  them- 
selves reproduced  from  Jubinal  Tapisseries. 
Magazines  that  contain  valuable  articles  on  tapes- 
try are  the  Gazette  des  Beaux- Arts,  L 'Art  (particu- 
larly the  articles  Les  Tapisseries  de  Bruxelles  et 
leurs  Marques  by  Alphonse  Wanters  1881),  Les 
Arts  Anciens  de  Flandre,  the  Art  Journal  (par- 
ticularly the  series  of  articles  beginning  July,  191 1, 
on  Tapestry  Weaving  in  England  by  W.  G.  Thomson, 
author  of  the  English  History  of  Tapestry),  the 
Burlington  Magazine,  the  International  Studio.  Help- 
ful in  keeping  track  of  sales  are  the  Chronique  des 
Arts,  the  Kuntsmarkt,  the  Connoisseur,  the  American 
Art  News. 

Forma  Spanish.  The  Spanish  Magazine  Forma,  in 
no.  19  (1907),  contains  a  short  article  in  French 
by  Jose  Ramon  Medida  on  the  Mercury  and  Herse 
set  of  eight  Brussels  Renaissance  tapestries  belong- 
ing to  the  Duchess  of  Denia.  He  wrongly  iden- 
tifies Herse  as  the  nymph  Carmenta  and  does  not 
grasp  the  significance  of  the  different  scenes.  The 
article  is  accompanied  by  half-tone  illustrations 
of  the  set  and  of  two  pieces  of  a  duplicate  set  in 
the  Barcelona  Court  House.  In  no.  23  (1907) 
of  Forma  are  half-tones  of  ancient  tapestries  in 
the  Cathedral  of  Tarragona. 
Spiliotti  Russian  designates  an  article  on  the  Imperial 
Tapestry  Factory  that  appeared  on  pages  231- 
250,  with  four  large  half-tone  illustrations,  of  the 
Russian  Magazine  (no  longer  published),  Treasures 
of  Art  in  Russia,  in  1903. 


ran  ran  : mm m\ 


mmmmmmiMmm'mmmmmmmmmmm 


CHAPTER   XVI 

Tapestries  at  the   Metropolitan   Museum 

Five  years  ago  the  Metropolitan  Museum  had 
few  tapestries.  To-day  it  has  many — some  on  loan 
and  some  acquired  by  gift  or  purchase — and  shows 
forty  of  them  magnificently. 

The  eye  at  once  groups  them  into  four  classes. 
Gothic  of  the  XV  century,  Renaissance  of  the  XVI 
century,  Baroque  of  the  XVII  century,  Rococo  and 
Classic  of  the  XVIII  century.  Of  course  as  in  other 
forms  of  art  the  periods  overlap,  and  we  often  find 
the  men  of  Brussels  weaving  Gothic  tapestries  in 
the  Sixteenth  Century  and  pure  Renaissance  tapes- 
tries in  the  Seventeenth ;  but  in  general  the  classifi- 
cation suggested  is  safe  to  follow  and  supplies  trust- 
worthy landmarks. 

The  first  and  most  obvious  distinction  between 
Gothic,  Renaissance,  and  Baroque  is  that  Gothic 
tapestries  are  least  like  paintings  and  Baroque  and 
XVIII  century  ones  most  so;  for  the  Gothic  tapes- 
tries are  completely  covered  with  design  and  orna- 
ment, flat  like  line  drawings  coloured  up,  while  in 
later  tapestries  photographic  perspective  has  been 
adopted,  and  the  weaver  is  often  compelled  to 
sacrifice  the  upper  part  of  his  cloth  to  empty  sky. 
Also,  the  borders  of  Gothic  tapestries  are  narrow  and 
unimportant,  or  absent  altogether;  while  the  borders 

368 


iisiiiiilHiiiislii)i^i)iitiiiiiiill!i)iKi 


THE    MAZARIN    TAPESTRY 

PLATE  no.  369.  The  priceless  Mazarin  Triumph  of  Christ  and  of  the  New  Dispensation,  a  Late  Gothic  Triptych  tapestry 
lent  to  the  Metropolitan  Museum  by  Mr.  Morgan  (See  chapter  XVI  for  detailed  description).  On  one  side  of  Christ,  the  angel 
of  justice  with  the  sword,  on  the  other  the  angel  of  mercy  with  the  lily  branch.  Below  the  former,  the  Emperor  and  his  retinue 
representing  the  State;  below  the  State  the  Pope  and  his  retinue  representing  the  Church.  In  the  right  wing  of  the  triptych 
Esther  and  Ahasuerus  (Xerxes),  representing  the  Empire  of  the  Old  Dispensation,  above  them  Esther  making  preparations  for 
her  banquet.  In  the  left  wing  of  the  triptych  the  Roman  Sibyl  and  Augustus,  representing  the  Empire  of  the  New  Dispensation. 
Interesting  to  compare  with  this  tapestry  are  the  Triumph  of  Christ  in  the  Brussels  Museum,  and  Mr.  BlumenthaPs  Charlemagne 
tapestry,  both  illustrated  elsewhere  in  this  book. 


THE  TRIUMPH  OF  CHRIST 

PLATE  no.  370.  The  Triumph  of  Christ.  Late  Gothic  Triptych  tapestry,  3.75  metres  by  4.55,  in  the 
Brussels  Museum.  Bought  at  the  Somzee  sale  in  1901  for  the  absurdly  low  price  of  $5600.  Closely 
resembles  the  Mazarin  tapestry  lent  by  Mr.  Morgan  to  the  Metropolitan  Museum,  but  lacks  the  metal 
effects  and  is  of  coarser  weave.  The  general  plan  is  the  same:  Christ  on  his  throne  worshipped  by  the 
Church  and  the  State,  i.e.,  by  the  Pope  and  his  followers  and  the  Emperor  and  his  followers.  The  nude 
figures  of  Adam  and  Eve  are  larger,  differently  placed.  The  lower  scenes  on  right  and  left  are  similar, 
picturing  respectively  Esther  and  Ahasuerus,  and  Augustus  and  the  Sibyl.  In  the  upper  corners  are  two 
scenes  not  found  in  the  Mazarin  tapestry:  on  the  right  Godfrey  de  Bouillon  and  King  Arthur,  on  the  left 
Charlemagne  with  the  head  of  a  Saracen  at  his  feet. 


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CHARLEMAGNE 

PLATE  no.  371.  The  Story  of  Charlemagne,  a  Gothic  tapestry  in  a  New  York  private  collection.  This  tapestry 
becomes  particularly  interesting  by  comparison  with  that  on  the  opposite  page.  The  left  wing  of  this  tapestry 
is  the  same  as  the  right  wing  of  that.  Moreover,  examination  of  this  tapestry  discloses  the  fact  that  it  is  made  up 
of  two  separate  designs  that  have  been  amalgamated  without  taking  the  trouble  to  redraw  the  Gothic  jeweled 
columns,  those  on  the  right  side  of  the  tapestry  are  different  from  those  on  the  left.  Of  the  five  scenes  in  the  top  row, 
it  is  certain  that  the  one  on  the  extreme  right  represents  the  breaking  of  images  (Eiconoclasm)  of  Charlemagne; 
the  second  from  the  left,  Godfrey  de  Bouillon  and  King  Arthur  (See  the  Nine  Heroes  (Preux)  in  chapter  XII,  and  the 
four  pictured  on  the  tapestry  in  the  Bale  Museum,  illustrated  on  page  31  of  Guiffrey  Seizie'me).  That  the  five 
scenes  on  the  right  of  the  tapestry  belong  to  the  Story  of  Charlemagne  is  certain.  Of  especial  significance  is  the 
large  Charlemagne  scene,  and  the  bird  of  prey  with  its  victim,  above. 


rzzn 


THE    VIRGIN 

PLATE  no.  372.  The  Triumph  of  the  Virgin,  a  Gothic  tapestry  with  jeweled  columns,  one  of  a  set  of  four 
picturing  the  Story  of  the  Virgin  in  the  Royal  Spanish  Collection.  These  tapestries  are  rich  with  gold  and  silver 
and  in  style  of  design  and  weave  suggest  the  Mazarin  Tapestry.  They  once  belonged  to  Philip  the  Handsome. 


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JOHN  THE  BAPTIST 

PLATE  no.  373.  The  Departure  of  John  the  Baptist,  a  Gothic-Renaissance  Transition  tapestry  in  the  Royal 
Spanish  Collection,  one  of  a  set  of  four  attributed  by  Count  Valencia  to  Jean  Van  Eyck  as  designer.  In  the  upper  left  cor- 
ner of  the  tapestry,  as  the  Latin  caption  says,  "He  devoutly  asks  permission  of  his  family,"  and  in  the  foreground  below 
"Hastens  quickly  to  penitence."    Note  the  richness  of  the  robes  and  the  tiny  dog  in  the  foreground  (See  chapter  IX). 


374  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

of  Renaissance  tapestries  are  often  wide  and  some- 
times quite  as  important  and  occupy  as  much  or 
more  space  than  the  picture  panels  inside;  and  of 
Baroque  tapestries  even  the  borders  begin  to  lose 
their   tapestry  distinctiveness   and   ape   painting. 

The  extent  to  which  tapestry  had  lost  its  technique 
by  the  XIX  century  is  illustrated  by  the  por- 
trait of  Catherine  the  Great,  a  part  of  the  Coles 
collection  belonging  to  the  Museum.  The  Russian 
inscription  at  the  base  of  the  column  shows  that  it 
was  woven  in  St.  Petersburg  in  1811  (See  plate 
no.  229). 

The  label  should  read:  "Do  not  admire  this; 
or  if  you  do,  admire  it  not  as  a  tapestry  but  as  a 
woven  painting." 

The  three  panels,  the  Baillee  des  Roses,  now  in 
the  rear  hall  of  the  Decorative  Arts  Wing,  pur- 
chased in  1909  from  the  income  of  the  Rogers  fund, 
formerly  belonged  to  the  famous  Bardac  collection. 
When  shown  in  the  Louvre,  in  1904,  at  the  Exposition 
of  Primitives,  they  attracted  much  attention  be- 
cause of  their  beauty  and  also  because  of  their  im- 
portance as  examples  of  historic  decorative  art. 

They  illustrate  a  homage  that,  until  about  the  end 
of  the  XVI  century,  the  peers  of  France  owed  to  the 
French  Parliament.  The  homage  consisted  in  the 
giving  of  roses.  On  the  appointed  day  the  peer  who 
was  making  the  gift  had  all  the  chambers  of  the 
Parliament  hung  with  flowers  and  sweet-smelling 
herbs.  To  the  presidents,  councillors,  clerks,  and 
henchmen  of  the  court  he  gave  a  splendid  breakfast. 


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37G  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Then  he  visited  each  chamber,  having  borne  before 
him  a  great  silver  basin  filled  with  bouquets  of  roses, 
pinks,  and  other  flowers,  natural  or  made  of  silk, 
one  for  each  official.  The  custom  existed  not  only 
at  the  Parliament  of  Paris,  but  also  at  other  Parlia- 
ments of  the  kingdom,  notably  that  of  Toulouse. 

The  tapestries  before  us  picture  this  Baillee  des 
Roses  most  quaintly.  On  wide  vertical  bands  of 
green,  white,  and  red,  strewn  with  rose  foliage  and 
flowers,  appear  ladies  and  gentlemen  in  XV  century 
costumes  of  great  variety  and  interest. 

One  of  the  panels  (See  plate  no.  53)  shows  three 
personages,  two  gentlemen  and  a  lady  more  splen- 
didly dressed  than  the  rest.  One  of  the  gentlemen 
carries  in  his  hand  his  hat  turned  toward  the  front, 
so  that  the  rose  just  received  from  the  lady  may  be 
visible.  In  the  lower  left-hand  corner  of  the  panel 
is  a  monkey  holding  a  cat.  The  personages  in  the 
other  two  panels  are  grouped  decoratively  against 
a  similar  background. 

These  three  panels  represent  tapestry-weaving  at 
its  best,  i.e.,  as  practised  in  France  and  French- 
Flemish  Burgundy  in  the  XV  century,  Flanders 
being  then  a  part  of  Burgundy.  They  are  not 
marred  by  any  attempt  at  photographic  perspective. 
Personages  and  florals  alike  are  in  strong  silhouette 
with  flat  simple  colours  to  mark  contrasts.  The 
basis  of  the  whole  design  is  not  paint-style  but  pen- 
style,  not  photographic  light  and  shade  in  delicate 
tones,  but  strong  line  work  that  gets  effects  easily 
and  vigorously. 


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ttiftHliHUMitariiMlltoiilUiUM 


378  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Study  the  line  work  of  these  panels  carefully. 
The  texture  is  a  coarse,  flat  rep  with  only  twelve 
horizontal  ribs  to  the  inch.  These  give  a  lined 
background  against  which  the  lines  of  the  personages 
and  rose  branches — predominatingly  vertical — stand 
out  boldly.  Note  also  the  strong  hatchings  of  the 
draperies — long,  vertical  lines  and  spires  of  one 
colour  running  up  into  another  colour.  These 
hatchings  are  the  most  distinctive  single  character- 
istic of  tapestry,  and,  in  combination  with  the 
horizontal  ribs  that  they  cross,  give  tapestry  a  more 
interesting  and  individual  texture  than  any  other 
textile.  If  the  hatchings  be  weak  and  the  ribs  many 
to  the  inch,  as  in  most  modern  tapestries,  the 
peculiar  tapestry  virtue  is  not  there  and  the  picture 
might  better  be  in  paint  on  canvas. 

Of  all  the  tapestries  now  on  exhibition  at  the 
Museum,  the  one  n  feet  7  by  13  feet  11  in  room  F6 
of  the  Decorative  Arts  Wing,  is  the  most  splendid. 
From  the  weaver's  point  of  view  it  is  a  tour  de  force. 
Although  of  exceedingly  fine  texture — twenty-two  ribs 
to  the  inch — it  is  definitely  tapestry  and  definitely 
Gothic.  The  personages  are  large  and  many.  The 
only  flesh-tints  are  in  the  faces  and  hands  and  the 
small  nude  bodies  of  Adam  on  the  left  and  Eve  on 
the  right.  In  weaving  the  tapestry,  gold  and  silver 
were  not  spared,  and  silk  was  also  used,  where  high 
lights  were  necessary.  But  the  principal  material 
was  wool  as  it  should  be.  Tapestries  woven  en- 
tirely of  silk  are  stupid.  They  are  all  shine  and  sheen 
with  no  character.     And  they  do  not  last.     The  silk 


(MiHMUUHMimUuKMMMiUtlMiK 


380  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

in  many  of  the  Museum  tapestries  was  inserted  by 
the  repairer.  It  is  the  wool  that  lasts  and  gives 
tapestries  their  character.  The  more  precious  ma- 
terials should  be  used  sparingly,  and  with  careful 
regard  for  their  contrast  effect,  like  jewels  in  personal 
adornment. 

The  tapestry  before  us  is  called  the  Mazarin 
tapestry,  because  tradition  tells  us  that  it  once  be- 
longed to  the  famous  tapestry  collection  of  the 
famous  Cardinal.  It  was  purchased  at  a  sale  of  his 
nephew's  effects  by  M.  de  Villars.  Early  in  the  XX 
century  it  appeared  in  the  shop  of  a  London  dealer 
from  whom  Mr.  Morgan  bought  it.  Before  it  came 
to  New  York  it  was  exhibited  in  the  Victoria  and 
Albert  Museum. 

It  is  one  of  the  most  richly  decorated  tapestries 
ever  woven.  Every  inch  of  robes  and  draperies  is 
elaborate  with  ornament.  Everywhere  is  the  sparkle 
of  gold  and  silver  thread,  used  lavishly  but  with 
rare  discretion.  The  sky  has  its  clouds  of  silver,  and 
threads  of  silver  glitter  in  the  whitened  locks  of 
Augustus. 

The  main  subject  of  this  tapestry  is  the  Triumph 
of  Christ  and  of  the  New  Dispensation.  The  com- 
position of  the  whole  is  like  that  of  a  triptych  (three- 
fold altar  screen),  and  the  architectural  style  of  the 
columns  and  arches  is  definitely  Gothic.  The  col- 
umns are  pictured  as  in  gold  thickly  studded  with 
jewels. 

In  the  middle  panel  is  shown  Christ  seated  on  a 
throne,   right  hand   upraised,   Gospels  in  left  hand 


iffl  Ifflffl 


:i;'t;«;j: 


iiiHUU»tt»«(it»iaKUUibi)!UiUUriKl 


382  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

with  richly  illuminated  pages  open  toward  the  two 
groups  of  worshippers  below.  The  group  below  his 
left  hand  represents  the  Church  and  is  headed  by 
the  Pope.  The  group  below  his  right  hand  represents 
the  State  and  is  headed  by  the  Emperor.  Between 
the  groups,  just  beneath  the  throne,  is  a  fascinating 
landscape,  of  slight  dimensions,  but  of  extreme 
significance  in  the  composition  of  this  triptych 
tapestry.  At  the  right  hand  of  Christ,  above  the 
Church  group,  is  an  angel  bearing  a  long  branch 
with  lilies,  symbolic  of  Mercy  and  of  the  Church.  At 
the  left  hand  of  Christ  is  an  angel  bearing  a  sword, 
symbolic  of  Justice  and  of  the  Temporal  Power 
(the  State).  Highest  of  all  are  two  angels  holding 
up  a  curtain  behind  the  throne. 

The  figure  on  the  column  next  the  Church  group, 
with  crozier  and  chalice,  represents  the  Holy  Catholic 
Church  of  the  New  Dispensation.  The  figure  on  the 
column  next  the  State  group,  blindfolded,  with  broken 
lance  and  broken  tablets  of  the  Mosaic  law,  represents 
the  Church  (Synagogue)  of  the  Old  Dispensation. 

The  lower  two-thirds  of  the  right  wing  of  the 
triptych  show  Ahasuerus  (known  to  the  Greeks  as 
Xerxes)  and  Esther  with  attendants.  The  Latin 
inscription  reads:  Cum  osculata  fuerat  spectrum 
assueri  esther  scipho  utitur  regis  pleno  meri  (When 
Esther  had  kissed  the  sceptre  of  Ahasuerus  she  drank 
from  the  King's  cup  filled  with  unmixed  wine).  In  the 
small  scene  above  on  the  left,  Esther  is  seen  kissing 
the  sceptre. 

The    lower   two-thirds    of    the   left   wing   of    the 


MiMflMMttMllMWMrii 


384  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

triptych  show  the  Roman  Emperor  Augustus — his 
name  Octavianus  being  woven  in  the  border  below 
— and  the  Tiburtine  Sibyl.  The  Latin  inscription 
reads:  Regent  regum  adoravit  augustus  imparator  cum 
sibilla  demonstravit  quo  patuit  salvator  (The  Em- 
peror Augustus  adored  the  King  of  Kings  when  the 
Sibyl  had  shown  him  the  apparition  of  the  Saviour). 
Above  the  heads  of  the  Emperor  and  the  Sibyl,  and 
their  attendants,  is  a  small  scene  showing  the  Sibyl 
pointing  out  to  Augustus  the  apparition  of  the 
Saviour  in  the  heavens  above  them.  I  am  indebted 
to  Joseph  Destree,  the  learned  curator  of  the  Royal 
Brussels  Museum  of  the  Decorative  Arts,  for  the 
transcription  of  the  captions,  one  of  which  is  so 
illegible  as  to  have  been  always  misread  before. 
His  transcription  I  have,  however,  confirmed  by 
careful  personal  examination. 

This  Mazarin  tapestry  in  many  points  resembles 
the  splendid  Triumph  of  the  Virgin  (See  plate  no. 
269),  bequeathed  to  the  Louvre  by  Baron  Charles 
Davillier,  which  has  the  date  woven  into  the  lower 
border:  Actu(m)  a(o)  1485  (made  in  the  year  1485). 
It  also  resembles  several  in  the  Royal  Spanish 
Collection  that  were  woven  near  the  end  of  the  XV 
century.  One  of  them,  no.  7  in  Valencia's  port- 
folio, shows — but  larger  in  proportion — similar  nude 
figures  of  Adam  and  Eve.  Interesting  to  compare 
with  them  are  the  nude  figures  of  Adam  and  Eve 
now  in  the  National  Museum  of  Brussels,  that  once 
crowned  the  marvellous  Van  Eyck  painted  triptych 
now  in  Ghent. 


■ 


iaSUfriiMMrttfttiMMlliUtflUIUMBif 


386  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Technically  this  Mazarin  tapestry  is  finer  than 
any  other  at  the  Metropolitan  Museum.  It  repre- 
sents the  best  that  can  be  done  with  gold  and  silver 
and  silk  and  wool,  to  picture  many  figures  elaborately 
gowned,  with  flesh  and  hair  that  are  marvellous  in 
texture  and  tone.  The  flesh-tints  one  can  never 
forget.  They  represent  an  intricacy  of  interweaving 
that  almost  passes  credibility. 

Twenty-two  ribs  to  the  inch  is  none  too  fine  for  a 
picture  of  this  character,  so  crowded  with  details. 
Compared  with  an  ordinary  tapestry,  this  one  is  like 
the  most  delicate  cloisonne  against  an  ordinary 
parquet  floor.  The  refinements  that  in  the  latter 
would  be  absurd  are  necessary  and  right  in  the 
former.  The  Mazarin  tapestry  is  real  tapestry  in 
every  sense  of  the  word,  true  in  both  letter  and  spirit 
to  the  best  traditions  and  practice  of  XV  century 
weavers. 

The  most  interesting  and  the  oldest  tapestry  at 
the  Museum  is  the  Burgundian  Sacraments.  It 
dates  from  the  first  half  of  the  XV  century.  It.  was 
correctly  described  for  the  first  time  in  my  article 
in  the  Burlington  Magazine  of  December,  1907.  It 
consists  of  five  fragments,  two  of  which  contain  two 
scenes  each,  making  seven  scenes  in  all.  Originally 
all  of  these  were  part  of  one  very  large  tapestry  con- 
taining fourteen  scenes,  the  upper  seven  of  which 
illustrated  the  Origin  of  the  Seven  Sacraments,  the 
lower  seven  the  Seven  Sacraments  as  Celebrated  in  the 
XV  Century.  Between  the  upper  and  lower  rows 
ran  a  descriptive  series  of  French  verses  in  Gothic 


ttiUiliiiiiMias 


GATHERING    GRAPES 

PLATE  no.  387.  Children  Gathering  Grapes,  a  Renaissance  tapestry  in  the  Royal  Spanish  Collection,  signed 
with  the  monogram  of  Willem  Van  Pannemaker.  An  exquisite  design  exquisitely  woven,  interesting  to  compare 
with  a  tapestry  on  the  same  subject  owned  by  Mr.  George  Salting,  illustrated  by  Thomson  opposite  page  246. 


388  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

letters.  The  illustrations  in  plates  nos.  46  and  47 
show  the  fragments  restored  to  their  original  relative 
positions.  This  splendid  tapestry  was  woven  in 
Bruges,  about  1440,  for  Philip  the  Good  Duke  of 
Burgundy,  as  a  decoration  for  the  chamber  of  his 
son,  the  youthful  Count  of  Charolais,  known  to 
history  as  the  rash  and  unfortunate  Charles  the  Bold, 
several  of  whose  tapestries,  captured  in  battle,  have 
since  been  in  the  Swiss  city  of  Berne.  The  price 
paid  by  Philip  was  317  livres  and  the  weave  is  coarse, 
about  12  ribs  to  the  inch.  The  five  pieces,  con- 
stituting altogether  half  of  the  original  tapestry, 
are  much  repaired  and  patched  and  two  of  them,  the 
one  showing  XV  century  Baptism,  and  the  other 
the  two  XV  century  scenes  of  Marriage  and  Extreme 
Unction,  are  mounted  wrong  side  out.  In  order  to 
compare  these  pieces  with  their  companions,  it  is 
necessary  to  picture  them  reversed  back  to  their 
original  position  as  in  my  illustrations. 

First  I  call  attention  to  the  woven  frame  that 
encircled  the  whole  of  the  original  tapestry — a  brick 
frame  with  floriation  outside.  The  frame  was  of 
great  assistance  in  establishing  the  exact  attribution 
of  the  tapestry,  and  in  arranging  the  scenes  in  their 
proper  relative  positions.  By  a  convention  peculiar 
to  the  period  it  represents  the  tapestry  as  seen  from 
below  on  the  right,  and  it  accomplishes  this  by  re- 
vealing fully  the  inside  of  the  brick  frame  above  and 
on  the  left,  and  less  fully  the  inside  of  the  brick 
frame  below,  while  the  inside  of  the  brick  frame  on 
the  right   is  not  visible  at  all.     In  other  words  the 


iitii)»MiM«fi;i>t!tiaMUtUtHi»i;<<«i 


390  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

inside  surfaces  of  the  brick  frame  are  represented 
as  turned  slightly  up  and  to  the  left.  The  visible 
inside  surfaces  of  this  frame,  above  and  on  the  left, 
are  accentuated  by  bright-coloured  jewels. 

The  original  complete  tapestry  began  on  the  left 
with  the  Baptism  in  Jordan  above  and  XV  century 
Baptism  below — the  latter  originally  facing  the  other 
side  out  so  that  the  brick  frame  and  floriated  border 
showed  on  the  left  instead  of  on  the  right.  The 
inscription  at  present  over  Baptism  in  Jordan  con- 
sists of  two  of  the  original  inscriptions  sewed  to- 
gether, the  last  third  referring  to  Baptism  and  the 
first  two-thirds  to  Confirmation  {Restored  to  their 
proper  position  in  plates  nos.  46  and  47).  The  old 
French  of  the  missing  part  of  the  Confirmation  in- 
scription has  been  filled  out  by  me  (See  the  number  of 
the  Burlington  mentioned  above),  so  that  the  whole 
reads  (translated): 

"In  order  that  mortals  may  surrender  themselves 
to  strength,  prelates  give  them  confirmation  and  ton- 
sure, and  similar  holy  offices.  The  patriarch  Jacob  did 
this,  who  placed  his  hands  on  two  children." 

The  fragment  of  the  inscription  referring  to 
Baptism  reads:  "Writers  of  scripture,"  "by  holy 
baptism  purified,"  "water  of  Jordan  washed,"  with 
the  first  two-thirds  of  the  three  lines  missing. 

The  last  two  subjects  of  the  tapestry  are  Marriage 
and  Extreme  Unction.  These  sacraments  in  their 
origin  are  shown  in  the  still  united  scenes  labelled 
the  Marriage  of  Adam  and  Eve,  and  King  David 
receiving  the  Unction  of  Honor.     The  XV  century 


iitUUtiiUiUiUtiili 


392  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

celebration  of  these  two  sacraments  is  shown  in  the 
two  scenes  labelled  Marriage  and  Extreme  Unction — 
mounted  wrong  side  out,  but  reversed  to  their  original 
position  on  plates  nos.  I  and  2.  The  two  inscriptions 
read: 

"And  Extreme  Unction,  which  against  temptation 
by  its  virtue  gives  strength,  was  instituted  by  the 
unction  of  honour  given  at  Hebron  to  King  David  to 
increase  his  power." 

"The  sacrament  of  marriage,  by  which  the  human 
race  multiplies,  was  instituted  by  God,  when  he 
created  Adam  and  from  his  rib  formed  Eve,  who  was 
of  women  the  first  and  sweetheart  to  Adam." 

Note  how  a  round  Gothic  column  with  jewelled 
capital  separates  the  last  two  sacraments,  in  both  the 
upper  and  the  lower  series.  The  other  scenes  were 
similarly  separated,  as  shown  by  the  column  on  the 
right  of  Baptism  in  Jordan,  and  on  the  left  of  XV 
century  Marriage. 

Note  also  the  brick  frame  above  the  upper  series 
of  Marriage  and  Extreme  Unction  and  below  the 
lower  series,  and  at  the  right  of  both,  and  how  this 
brick  frame  gives  the  point  of  view  of  the  spectator 
as  below  on  the  right. 

All  the  personages  in  all  the  scenes  are  beautifully 
backgrounded  with  a  damask  pattern  that  sets 
them  strongly  forth,  while  underfoot  is  a  tiled  floor, 
— except  in  Baptism  where  floriation  and  water  take 
its  place.  Fascinating  and  decorative  to  a  wonderful 
degree  is  the  floriation  outside  the  brick  frame  of 
Baptism    and    below    the    brick  frame  of    the  last 


ittafflrowHm 


rfMU»U«Ui»i»ttau 


394  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

two  scenes.  Fascinating,  too,  is  the  way  the  flori- 
ation  creeps  up  over  the  brick  frame  of  XV  century 
Marriage. 

The  weave  of  this  tapestry  is  masterful,  with 
long  hatchings  that  interpret  marvellously  the 
elaborately  figured  costumes  and  damask  ground. 
It  will  be  noted  that  all  the  personages  are  clothed 
except  the  two  being  baptised.  Even  Adam  and 
Eve  show  little  bare  flesh.  Far  different  this  from 
the  nude  and  semi-nude  figures  inherited  by  the 
Renaissance  from  ancient  Rome.  (For  other  facts 
about  the  Mazarin  tapestry,  see  chapter  II.) 

The  XV  century  designers  and  weavers  of  tapestry 
worked  along  the  right  lines.  They  knew  the 
possibilities  of  the  high-warp  loom  and  utilised  them 
to  the  utmost.  But  they  did  not  attempt  the  im- 
possible in  the  way  of  open  sky  and  water  and  unpat- 
terned  surfaces,  which  are  what  hampered  the  efforts 
of  later  weavers  and  finally  caused  tapestry  to  become 
one  of  the  neglected  arts. 

The  five  Late  Gothic  tapestries,  lent  to  the 
Metropolitan  Museum  by  the  late  Alfred  W.  Hoyt, 
are  also  of  unusual  merit  from  the  weave  point  of 
view.  They  represent  the  antithesis  of  paint  tex- 
ture. The  hatchings  are  long  and  strong  and  numer- 
ous. The  ribs  are  coarse  and  obvious,  but  flat  and 
delightfully  irregular. 

The  sizes  and  subjects  of  the  five  tapestries  are: 

No.  i.  A  Garden  Party,  8  feet  9  1/4  x  13  feet  1  1/4. 
No.  2.  A  Garden  Party  with  Music,  8  feet  7  5/8  x  17  feet 

7  1/2. 


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396  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

No.  3.  The  Triumph  of  Time,  13  feet  3  3/4  x  9  feet  11  1/8. 
No.  4.  The  Triumph  of  Cupid,  12  feet  9  3/4x9  feet  5. 
No.  5.  An  Unidentified  Story,  12  feet  10  3/4  x  10  feet  9  3/8. 

All  were  woven  in  Brussels  in  the  first  quarter  of 
the  XVI  century  and  all  are  distinctly  Flemish  in 
character.  No.  1,  illustrated  on  colour  plate  no. 
II,  is  especially  interesting  in  design,  compo- 
sition, and  weave,  and  is  in  excellent  condition. 
No.  1  has  16  ribs  to  the  inch,  while  the  others 
have  12. 

It  belongs  to  the  same  school  of  design  and  work- 
manship as  the  Scene  from  a  Novel  in  the  Hoentschel 
Collection  lent  by  Mr.  Morgan  to  the  Metropolitan 
Museum.  While  the  latter  is  nearly  square  (12 
feet  3  by  12  feet  ij),  it  so  closely  resembles  No.  1 
in  other  respects  as  to  make  comparison  important. 
The  central  figure  of  both  is  a  woman  seated  on  a 
throne.  In  the  Hoentschel  tapestry  she  carries  in 
her  right  hand  the  sceptre  of  royalty,  and  with  the 
aid  of  her  secretaries  at  the  table  below  is  preparing 
letters  to  be  despatched  by  the  mounted  messengers 
visible  in  the  extreme  upper  corners.  The  action 
in  No.  1  is  purely  social.  The  scene  is  entirely 
out-of-doors  with  no  pavilion  to  protect  the  presiding 
lady.  On  the  right  new  arrivals  are  being  welcomed. 
On  the  left  a  gentleman  assists  a  lady  to  rise. 
Elsewhere  couples  in  animated  conversation.  Both 
tapestries  have  the  sky-line  at  the  extreme  top  with 
only  a  narrow  band  of  landscape  and  trees  showing 
through.  Both  have  a  narrow  foreground  of  flowers 
and  herbage,  and  in  both  every  inch  is  well  covered 


HWIMHHW^^u^iUtflHBBIIIHilUU^Miia^iii^nU^u^^^u,  <*«iMMUiM«K 


HISTORY   AND   RENAISSANCE  397 

with  pattern  or  design.     The  costumes  in  both  are 
noteworthy  for  richness  and  elegance. 

No.  2,  a  Garden  Party  with  Music,  immediately 
suggests  the  Garden  Musical  that  was  No.  12  of  the 
Lowengard  Collection,  sold  in  Paris  in  1910,  and  also 
the  Garden  Concert  illustrated  in  Guichard  French. 
In  all  three  the  personages  are  elegantly  costumed. 
Especially  noteworthy  are  the  fur  trimmings  on  the 
costumes  of  No.  2  that  is  crowded  with  human 
figures,  containing  thirty-four  large  personages  be- 
sides two  small  ones  in  the  background.  The  whole 
scene  is  lively  and  gay.  Conversation  is  animated. 
On  the  left  the  master  of  ceremonies  kneels  to  greet 
a  lady  who  is  followed  by  a  group  issuing  from  a 
castle.  Over  the  doorway  are  represented  two 
winged  cherubs  holding  a  cartouche  with  heraldic 
emblem.  Below  them  a  band  of  ornament  with 
winged  cherub-head.  Above  the  master  of  cere- 
monies a  group  of  four,  three  ladies  and  a  gentleman. 
One  of  the  ladies  offers  another  a  plate  of  fruit. 
To  the  right  of  the  group,  a  lady  with  stringed  in- 
strument, of  mandolin  shape,  and  attentive  cavalier. 
Below  them  a  lady  with  small  instrument,  strung 
like  a  harp,  and  also  an  attentive  cavalier.  In  the 
middle  of  the  tapestry  a  group  of  four,  three  ladies 
and  a  gentleman.  One  of  the  ladies  offers  another 
a  very  attractive  plate  of  fruit.  Behind  them,  with 
only  the  square  canopy  and  upper  part  of  the  back 
showing,  a  throne.  The  pattern  of  the  back  shows 
a  double-headed  eagle.  On  the  right  of  the  tapestry 
a  group  of  three,  two  ladies  and  a  gentleman.     One 


398  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

lady  offers  the  other  a  covered  jewelled  cup.     Behind 
them  two  groups  of  three,  and  one  of  two. 

In  the  upper  left  corner  of  no.  3,  the  Triumph  of 
Time,  appears  the  Latin  caption  in  Gothic  letters 
Tempus  vincit  famam  (Time  conquers  fame).  Time 
is  pictured  as  a  young  woman  seated  on  a  chariot 
drawn  by  four  spirited  and  richly  caparisoned 
horses,  and  holding  a  clock  aloft  in  her  left  hand. 
Across  the  top  of  the  tapestry  runs  the  zodiacal  band 
picturing  the  Scorpion  (partially  hidden  behind 
Time),  the  Scales,  the  Virgin,  the  Lion,  the  Crab. 
Fame  {fame)  lies  helpless  in  the  lower  right  corner 
of  the  tapestry,  and  the  rest  of  the  foreground  is 
occupied  by  a  procession  of  the  Olympic  deities  in 
pairs — Jupiter  (iupiter),  and  Juno  leading  the  way. 
Jupiter  carries  a  sceptre  in  his  right  hand. 

In  No.  4,  the  Triumph  of  Cupid,  the  central  figure 
high  upon  a  pedestal  that  rises  from  an  altar  red 
with  curling  flames,  is  the  winged  and  blindfolded 
God  of  Love  (cupido).  He  is  in  the  act  of  loosing 
an  arrow  from  his  bow.  In  the  foreground  a  pro- 
cession of  famous  men  and  women,  whom  Cupid 
attacked  with  his  darts,  headed  by  Julius  Caesar 
(iulius  cesar).  Beside  him,  Cleopatra  (cleop).  Be- 
hind him,  Bathsheba  (bersabea),  Solomon  (so-omon), 
Helen  (helena),  Brutus  {brutus).  Caesar  carries  a 
sword  upraised  in  his  right  hand,  and  the  imperial 
globe  with  cross  in  his  left.  Those  personages 
strongly  resemble  the  Olympic  deities  in  No.  3,  and 
it  is  probable  that  nos.  3  and  4  were  woven  as  part 
of  the  same  set.     Interesting  to  compare  with  them 


iiMliiiliiiUii!',t!!!ii 


HERCULES 

PLATE  no.  399.  Hercules  Killing  the  Dragon  that  guards  the  Hesperides,  a  Renaissance  tapestry  in  the  Imperial 
Austrian  Collection.  One  of  a  set  of  9  picturing  the  Story  of  Hercules.  Three  are  signed  with  the  Audenarde  mark 
and  all  with  what  is  probably  the  monogram  of  Michel  Van  Orley. 


400  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

are  the  Triumphs  in  the  Imperial  Austrian  Collec- 
tion and  at  Hampton  Court. 

No.  5  is  earlier  in  style  than  the  others.  The 
columns  of  the  royal  pavilion  and  the  curved  railing 
in  front  of  it  are  jewelled  like  the  columns  in  the 
Mazarin  and  many  other  Gothic  tapestries.  The 
central  figures  of  the  tapestry  are  a  king  and  a  queen 
seated  on  a  throne  at  the  entrance  of  the  royal 
pavilion.  Both  carry  sceptres,  he  in  his  right  hand, 
she  in  her  left  hand.  She  with  uplifted  right  hand 
appears  to  favour  the  suit  of  suppliants  below  them. 
He  by  the  position  of  his  left  hand  appears  to  deny 
it.  The  curtains  of  the  pavilion  behind  them  are 
draped  back,  and  courtiers  crowd  forward  eager  to 
see  and  hear.  The  suppliants  below  them  consist 
of  one  aged  man  and  three  ladies.  Below  them  are 
also  courtiers  and  visitors,  six  on  the  left,  five  on 
the  right.  The  upper  corners  of  the  tapestry  picture 
other  scenes  of  the  same  story.  On  the  left  the 
aged  man  with  hands  tied  is  being  brought  in  by  two 
constables.  A  lady  stands  by  in  helpless  distress, 
hands  clasped  in  suppliance.  On  the  right,  a  lady 
kneeling  presents  a  flower  to  a  child  sitting  on  the 
lap  of  his  mother,  who  is  seated  in  a  chair  with  high 
figured  fiat  back.  On  one  side  of  the  chair  a  lady, 
on  the  other  a  nurse.  The  story  may  be  Biblical 
and  may  be  Romantic.  I  am  inclined  to  think  the 
latter,  and  to  interpret  the  three  scenes  as  meaning 
the  Arrest,  the  Queen's  Intercession,  the  Expression 
of  Thanks.  The  grouping  of  the  third  scene  is 
apparently  copied  from  a  Madonna  group  in  which 


;lf!l:l 


MtiimiimuMMiuMimmmi 


402  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Saint  Barbara  (or  Saint  Anne)  presents  a  flower  to 
the  child  Christ.  (Compare  pages  262  and  313  of 
volume  II  of  Reinach's  Repertoire  de  Peintures  du 
Moyen  Age  et  de  la  Renaissance.) 

Unusually  interesting  is  the  border  of  the  Late 
Renaissance  tapestry  in  room  F6  of  the  Metropolitan 
Museum  (See  plate  no.  401).  It  is  simply  alive 
with  animals — fish  below  and  birds  above,  with 
deer  and  goats  and  unicorns  and  foxes  in  the  side 
borders.  The  picture  panel  inside  is  lighted  from 
above  on  the  left,  as  is  shown  by  the  shadow  lines 
on  the  inside  of  the  left  and  upper  borders.  It  is 
crowded  with  details,  the  main  feature  being  a 
Roman  amphitheatre  (the  Colosseum)  in  action. 
In  the  ring  a  bear  crushes  one  dog  and  is  worried  by 
two  others.  Also  two  bull-fights  are  in  progress 
and  there  is  a  bustle  of  horsemen  and  footmen. 
The  back  of  the  amphitheatre  is  cut  away  to  give  a 
view  of  the  interior  and  of  beyond  where  stretch 
wooded  hills  and  castles,  with  a  narrow  line  of  sky 
above.  The  foreground  is  crowded  with  large 
personages,  some  on  foot  and  some  mounted.  The 
central  figure  is  the  Emperor  Titus  on  horseback. 
Two  attendants  lead  a  lion  fearlessly.  A  dog  barks 
fretfully.  In  the  right  corner  the  broken-off  foot 
of  a  Colossus  statue  shows  Romulus  and  Remus 
and  the  wolf  nurse  in  low  relief.  The  costumes  are 
Roman,  but  the  figures  are  well  clothed.  The 
tapestry  is  signed  with  the  monogram  of  W.  S. — 
perhaps  Willem  Segers  of  Brussels — on  the  right- 
hand    selvage  near  the  bottom  (See  plate  no.  401). 


mm, 


mimmwi 


ESTHER 

PLATE  no.  403.  Two  Scenes  from  the  Story  of  Esther,  a  tapestry  in  the  Hoentschel  Collection,  lent  to  the  Metro- 
politan Museum  by  Mr.  Morgan.  One  the  left,  in  the  upper  corner,  Esther  (hesterl  seeking  admission;  below,  Esther 
kneeling  before  Ahasuerus  (Xerxes  1  crowned  and  with  sceptre,  who  listens  favorably  to  her  petition.  On  the  right,  the 
banquet  given  by  Esther  to  Ahasuerus,  which  it  is  interesting  to  compare  with  the  Esther  and  Ahasuerus  scenes  in  the 
Mazarin  tapestry.    The  Latin  captions  below  tell  the  story  of  how 


HIC    RUMOR   EXECRABIBILIS   REVELATTJR.      SED    REGINA 
MESTA   DOLENS   AC    HUMILIS   .   DOLI   FUIT   MEDECINA 

"this  awful  rumor  is  revealed,  but  the  queen  sad,  grieving  and  humble  was  medicine  for  the  guile.' 


404  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

Especially  interesting  and  well  worth  reproducing 
on  the  tapestry  looms  of  to-day,  for  the  decoration 
of  church  or  home,  are  the  two  wide  but  not  deep 
Gothic  tapestries  in  the  Hoentschel  Collection  (each 
5  feet  2  by  12  feet  4)  picturing,  one  the  Slaughter 
of  the  Innocents,  the  other  Christ  in  the  Temple 
and  the  Marriage  of  Cana.  These  tapestries  repre- 
sent the  art  at  its  best.  But  they  were  not  expensive 
to  weave,  in  the  XV  century  or  now. 

A  perfectly  fascinating  tapestry,  also  lent  from  the 
Hoentschel  Collection,  shows  Esther  before  Ahasu- 
erus,  and  is  attributed  to  Brussels  under  date  of 
1450.  There  are  woven  inscriptions  in  Latin.  The 
two  scenes  are  separated  by  a  square  Gothic  column 
that  recalls  the  Burgundian  tapestries  in  the  next 
room.  The  scene  on  the  left  shows  Ahasuerus 
receiving  Esther  in  formal  state,  while  on  the  right 
they  are  banqueting. 

In  room  F15  of  the  Metropolitan  Museum  is  a 
tapestry  illustrating  Commerce  and  signed  D  M 
beauvais.  D  M  stand  for  De  Menou,  who  was 
director  of  the  tapestry  works  at  Beauvais  from 
1780  to  1793.  The  colouring  is  not  particularly 
good  and  there  are  about  18  ribs  to  the  inch.  This 
tapestry  illustrates  the  degradation  that  the  art  of 
tapestry  design  and  weaving  had  suffered  in  three 
centuries,  but  it  is  by  no  means  a  fair  example  of 
Menou 's  work. 

The  ten  large  tapestries  hanging  high  in  the  main 
hall  of  the  Decorative  Arts  Wing  all  belong  to  the 
Baroque  period  and  are  as  inferior  to  the  products 


mHHHU 


ilftMiittKUttKiiUUHiUUfflil! 


406  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

of  the  centuries  before  the  XVII  as  they  are  superior 
to  most  of  the  product  of  centuries  after.  The 
signatures  of  the  weavers,  leefdael  or  strecken 
and  the  double  B  with  shield  of  Brussels  can  be 
clearly  seen  in  the  bottom  selvage  of  all  the  five 
in  the  Cleopatra  series.  The  story  of  each  scene 
is  inserted  in  Latin  in  the  cartouche  in  the 
upper  border,  while  the  corresponding  position  in 
the  lower  border  is  filled  by  small  landscapes  differ- 
ent in  each  tapestry  and  all  interesting  (See  plate 
no.  277). 

Of  the  five  Baroque  tapestries  opposite  these, 
three  illustrate  scenes  from  the  life  of  Jacob  (two  of 
them  being  from  the  same  set  as  the  borders  show) 
and  two  illustrate  scenes  from  the  life  of  Moses. 
All  were  lent  to  the  Museum  by  Mrs.  Archibald 
Thompson. 

Delightfully  decorative  are  the  two  Renaissance 
Grotesque  panels  lent  by  Mr.  George  Blumenthal. 
These  are  excellent  examples  of  the  weavers'  art. 
They  remind  one  of  the  Renaissance  Grotesque 
tapestries  sold  at  the  White  Sale  1907,  but  are  smaller 
and  of  more  excellent  design  and  execution. 

At  the  head  of  the  main  stairway  of  the  Decorative 
Arts  Wing  hang  two  of  a  series  of  tapestries  picturing 
scenes  from  Tasso's  Jerusalem  Delivered.  On  each 
tapestry  the  text  of  the  verse  illustrated  appears  in 
a  cartouche  at  the  top.  About  the  attribution  of 
these  tapestries  there  is  no  uncertainty,  for  one  of 
them  has  the  woven  signature  of  P.  ferloni  of 
Rome,  and  the  date  1739. 


■:::,;(iii^i^i!M;iiiiiiliilI3ilJl!ii 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  407 

Far  from  the  other  tapestries,  in  room  D3, 
containing  armour,  are  two  Flemish  Renaissance 
tapestries  lent  by  Miss  Eloise  L.  Breese,  and  one 
Italian  Baroque  lent  by  Mr.  Frederick  W.  Rhine- 
lander.  Their  juxtaposition  affords  an  excellent 
opportunity  to  study  the  distinctions  between 
Renaissance  and  Baroque.  The  former  have  narrow 
but  most  interesting  borders  of  pronouncedly  Re- 
naissance character  and  the  flesh-tones  are  superior 
in  design  and  weave.  The  personages  are  many 
and  the  costumes  interesting.  Both  costumes  and 
architecture  show  that  the  designer  must  have  been 
an  Italian  intimately  acquainted  with  Rome  of  his 
own  day,  and  before. 

The  subject  of  the  two  Breese  tapestries  is  the 
Rape  of  the  Sabine  Women,  and  the  weave  is  twenty 
ribs  to  the  inch,  but  none  too  fine  for  the  difficulties 
presented  by  the  flesh-tones  portrayed.  Technically 
the  weave  is  of  unusual  excellence,  and  shows  what 
could  still  be  done  on  the  loom  by  men  familiar  with 
Gothic  practice.  That  the  designer  also  understood 
something  about  tapestry  requirements  and  possi- 
bilities is  clear  from  the  pains  he  took  to  fill  the 
surface  with  detail.  If  the  tapestries  had  been  more 
completely  and  skilfully  repaired,  the  skill  of  the 
weaver  would  be  much  more  apparent,  many  of  his 
best  effects  now  being  lost  because  of  reds  that 
have  faded  and  silk  that  has  been  only  partially 
replaced. 

Very  interesting  to  compare  with  these  three 
tapestries  are  three  woven  from  the  same  cartoons 


408  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

(both  panels  and  borders),  but  apparently  of  later 
date,  exhibited  by  M.  Braquenie  at  Brussels  in  1880, 
and  illustrated  in  Belgium  1880.  While  woven 
from  the  same  cartoons,  the  Braquenie  tapestries 
present  some  notable  differences,  one  of  them  being 
opposite  in  direction  and  left-handed,  while  the 
other  two  include  either  more  or  less  of  the  subject, 
one  of  the  Breese  panels  containing  only  about  half 
of  the  corresponding  Braquenie  panel.  It  pictures 
the  Sabine  women  playing  the  part  of  peacemakers 
between  their  Sabine  fathers  and  their  Roman 
husbands,   and  is  temporarily  not  on  exhibition. 

Of  the  reds  that  once  enriched  Mr.  Rhinelander's 
tapestry,  merely  suggestions  are  left.  The  yard- 
wide  border  is  characteristically  true  to  the  Baroque 
period,  with  its  massive  columns  and  entablatures, 
deep  shadows  and  nude  cherubs.  Especially  char- 
acteristic are  the  huge  cartouche,  with  reversing 
scrolls  in  the  top  border,  and  the  huge  shell  with 
masque  and  festoons  in  the  bottom  border.  Balanced 
massiveness  that  sometimes  degenerates  into  grand- 
iosity is  the  keynote  of  the  Baroque  period,  and 
massiveness  is  the  first  impression  one  receives  from 
this  tapestry. 

The  subject  is  Moses  Striking  the  Rock,  as  told 
by  the  Latin  inscription  in  the  cartouche  above  that 
reads: 

sllex  ictibus  moysi  obediens. 
Erubescat  cor  hominis. 
Dei  beneficiis  contumax. 

Which,   translated,  reads:     "The   rock  obedient  to 


iiftffliiiWiiiiiUUUiiJtiffllH 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  409 

the  blows  of  Moses  shames  the  heart  of  man,  stub- 
born against  the  blessings  of  God." 

The  signature  in  the  bottom  selvage  is  that  of 
Bernardino  Van  Asselt  who  had  a  factory  in  Florence 
in  the  latter  half  of  the  XVII  century. 

The  figures  are  large  and  well  clothed  but  there 
is  too  much  open  sky  and  the  ground  and  rocks 
show  the  influence  of  paint  technique.  The 
weave  is  good  and  comparatively  coarse — about 
fifteen  ribs  to  the  inch.  The  beards  and  hair 
of  the  personages  are  especially  well  executed. 
But  the  composition  does  not  compare  with  that 
of  the  old  Gothic  tapestries.  The  inside  frame 
shadows  show  the  light  as  coming  from  above  on 
the  right. 

Of  all  the  Renaissance  tapestries  with  which  I  am 
acquainted  none  please  me  more  than  the  two  large 
ones  in  room  F8  of  the  Decorative  Arts  Wing. 
They  are  splendid  examples  of  the  best  that  the  most 
skilful  weaver  could  accomplish,  and  the  designs 
are  not  excelled  by  any  Renaissance  tapestry  de- 
signs with  which  I  am  acquainted.  The  grounds 
are  well  covered,  especially  of  the  chamber  scene, 
and  the  decorative  idea  is  kept  consistently  upper- 
most. Particularly  would  I  call  attention  to  the 
gold  in  basket  weave  used  so  skilfully  and  lavishly 
in  the  lower  border  of  both  tapestries.  Also  to  the 
free  and  effective  use  of  silver  in  the  chamber  scene. 
Silk  also  was  used  when  silk  would  help,  but  never 
recklessly  as  in  later  centuries  when  false  virtuosity 
dominated  the  tapestry  ateliers.     The  moment  one 


GOTHIC  AND   RENAISSANCE 

PLATE  no.  410.  Above,  the  Capture  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus  (Gothic).  Below,  the  Capture  of  a  City  (Renaissance). 
These  two  tapestries,  both  Flemish,  one  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum,  the  other  sold  at  public  sale  several  years  ago 
in  New  York,  afford  a  good  opportunity  for  comparison,  between  the  Gothic  and  the  Renaissance  methods  of  portrayal. 
But  it  should  be  noted  that  the  lower  tapestry  is  typically  Flemish  Renaissance,  absolutely  free  from  Italian  character- 
istics, and  full  of  details  retained  from  the  Gothic. 


mmmm 


mm\mmMm\uumm 


412  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

looks  at  these  tapestries  one  knows  that  the  master 
weaver  who  superintended  their  execution  was  at 
the  head  of  his  craft. 

Fortunately  we  are  able  to  name  this  great  weaver, 
for,  woven  in  threads  of  gold  on  the  lower  edge  of 
the  right-hand  border  of  both  tapestries,  he  left  his 
initials  W  V  P  combined  into  a  monogram  that 
appears  on  many  tapestries  in  the  Royal  Spanish 
Collection,  which  we  know  by  documentary  evidence 
were  the  product  of  Willem  Van  Pannemaker's 
looms.  And  if  we  did  not  have  other  evidence,  the 
signature  itself,  as  well  as  the  similarity  in  style  and 
technique,  would  compel  us  to  make  the  same  attribu- 
tion. On  the  bottom  border  of  one  of  Mr.  Blumen- 
thal's  two  tapestries,  the  double  B  and  shield  of 
Brussels  appear.  The  corresponding  part  of  the 
other  tapestry  having  worn  away  was  replaced  by 
the  repairers  without  the  signature.  During  the 
middle  of  the  XVI  century,  Willem  Van  Pannemaker 
was  first  among  makers  of  tapestry,  and  everything 
to  which  his  monogram  is  attached  possesses  unusual 
merit.  The  borders  of  the  two  tapestries  before  us 
are  adapted  copies  of  the  borders  that  appear  on  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles  tapestries  in  the  Spanish  Collec- 
tion, designed  by  Raphael  and  woven  soon  after  the 
weaving  of  the  original  set.  These  tapestries  repre- 
sent in  Renaissance  work  what  the  Mazarin  tapestry 
represents  in  Gothic  work — the  extraordinary  results 
that  can  be  obtained  by  employing  gold  and  silver 
thread  generously  in  addition  to  silk  and  the  basic 
wool.     The    subject    is    the    Story    of    Herse.     The 


HISTORY  AND   RENAISSANCE  413 

original  series  (of  which  there  is  a  complete  set  in 
the  possession  of  the  Duchess  de  Denia  of  Spain) 
contained  eight  tapestries,  and  depicted  the  meeting 
and  courtship  of  Mercury  and  Herse.  The  nuptial 
scene  is  shown  by  No.  6  in  the  series,  the  chamber 
tapestry  14  feet  by  18,  illustrated  in  colour  plate 
no.  III. 

No.  8  in  the  series,  the  larger  of  Mr.  Blumenthal's 
two  tapestries  (14  feet  5  by  24),  shows  on  the  left 
Aglauros  being  changed  to  stone  by  Hermes,  before 
the  eyes  of  her  horrified  father  Cecrops  the  first 
king  of  Athens.  The  penalty  was  inflicted  because 
Aglauros  refused  to  permit  Hermes  admission  to 
her  father's  residence  and  to  Herse.  Then  Mercury 
soars  up  over  the  palace  back  to  Olympus,  as 
pictured  on  the  right  of  the  tapestry,  all  the  courtiers 
and  attendants  following  his  flight  with  awe-stricken 
faces,  while  Cecrops  in  the  foreground  lets  fall  his 
sceptre. 

The  only  German  tapestries  in  the  Museum  are  six 
small  and  rather  crude,  but  not  unpleasing,  Renais- 
sance panels  given  by  Mr.  Morgan.  Each  is  39X 
inches  high  by  29^  inches  wide,  and  all  are  enriched 
with  gold  and  silver.  All  are  topped  with  a  white 
panel  carrying  a  verse  in  German  from  the  New 
Testament  appropriate  to  the  scene  illustrated,  and 
all  are  bordered  with  columns  and  bear  the  mono- 
grams of  both  A  R  and  I  C  M.  All  of  the  tapestries 
are  also  dated,  two  1592,  two  1595,  one  1598,  one 
1600.  The  subject  of  the  set  is  the  Story  of  Christ, 
and  three  of  the  pieces — Christ  Washing  the  Feet  of 


414  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

the  Apostles,  Christ  Bearing  the  Cross,  and  the 
Ascension — are  after  Albrecht  Diirer's  woodcuts  of 
the  Small  Passion.  Two  of  the  others,  the  Elevation 
of  the  Cross,  and  the  Pentecost,  are  attributed  to 
the  school  of  Diirer,  and  the  sixth,  the  Baptism  of 
Christ,  to  Martin  Schongauer.  For  illustrations, 
see  plate  no.  415.  Thomson  attributes  the  A  R 
monogram  to  Alsace  but  without  giving  his  reasons. 
A  large  Gothic  tapestry,  one  of  the  most  important 
in  the  world — belonging  to  the  Museum  and  hanging 
in  the  main  entrance  hall — is  the  Capture  of  Jeru- 
salem by  Titus,  acquired  by  purchase  in  November, 
1909.  It  is  a  masterpiece  of  the  weaver's  art  and 
the  design  and  colourings  are  characteristic  of  the 
Golden  Age  of  tapestry.  It  closely  resembles  in 
style  the  four  Caesar  tapestries  now  in  Berne — a 
present  from  the  Burgundian  Duke  Charles  the  Bold 
to  Guillaume  de  la  Beaume,  and  seized  by  the  Swiss 
when  they  pillaged  the  latter's  castle  in  the  war  that 
ended  the  Burgundian  supremacy.  The  central 
figure  is  the  Emperor  Titus  on  horseback  with  the 
captured  Ark  of  the  Covenant  on  a  wagon  before 
him.  In  the  foreground  soldiers  are  disembowelling 
Jews  for  the  money  they  had  swallowed  in  order  to 
save  it.  The  story  is  fully  told  in  the  "Mistere  de 
la  Vengeance  Nostre  Seigneur  Jesuscrist,"  a  XV 
century  miracle  play  summarized  and  partially 
reprinted  in  Reims  Peintes.  Other  events  of  the 
capture  of  the  city  are  pictured  on  the  right  and 
on  the  left  with  the  utmost  spirit  and  vigour.  The 
tapestry  has  improved  greatly  by  cleaning  since  it 


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416  TAPESTRIES— THEIR  ORIGIN 

came  into  the  possession  of  the  Museum  and  was 
first  hung  (See  plates  nos.  410,  411). 

For  description  of  Mr.  Morgan's  five  Gobelin 
Don  Quixote  tapestries,  see  my  chapter  on  the 
Gobelins;  and  of  the  Mortlake  tapestries,  lent  by 
Mrs.  Von  Zedlitz  and  Mr.  Hiss,  my  chapter  on 
Mortlake. 


i^iMiiiiiraM 


GENERAL  INDEX 


References  following  a  star  are  to  illustrations. 

Titles  of  the  different  pieces  of  sets  have  been  omitted  from  the  index, 
because  easier  of  reference  in  the  text,  as  follows: 

Raphael's  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  90,  149,  150;  Vulcan  and  Venus,  122,  124; 
English  Royal  Residences,  139;  Hero  and  Leander,  148,  149;  the 
Royal  Residences  of  Louis  XIV,  166;  the  Story  of  Louis  XIV,  168, 
170;  the  Story  of  Alexander,  171;  the  Chambers  of  the  Vatican,  172; 
the  Sujets  de  la  Fable,  172;  the  Gallery  of  Saint-Cloud,  173;  the 
Portieres  of  the  Gods,  174;  Ovid's  Metamorphoses,  175,  176;  Opera 
Fragments,  179;    Stage  Scenes,  179,  180. 

By  Boucher  for  the  Gobelins,  182;  Battles  of  the  Swedish  King  Charles 
XI,  190,  191;  the  Chinese  Set  of  Vernansal,  Fontenay,  and  Dumons, 
192;  Houasse's  Metamorphoses,  192;  Oudry's  New  Hunts,  193; 
Oudry's  Verdures,  and  Fables  of  La  Fontaine,  194. 

By  Boucher  for  Beauvais,  194,  195;  the  Barberini  Life  of  Christ,  224; 
Goya's  Spanish  Scenes,  227.  228;  the  Story  of  David  at  the  Cluny 
Museum,  282;  De  Troy's  Story  of  Esther,  282;  the  Story  of  Abraham, 
286,  288;  the  Trojan  War,  301,  302;  the  Story  of  Scipio,  304;  the 
Battle  of  Pavia,  308;  the  Conquest  of  Tunis,  310;  the  Reims  Toiles 
Peintes,  356;   tapestries  in  the  Cathedral  of  Angers,  354. 

List  of  Marks  and  Weavers'  Signatures,  268-273. 


Aaron,  67 

Abraham,  114,  284,  286,  288 

Abraham  and  Isaac,  34,  156 

Absalom,  298 

Achilles,  159,  190,  196 

*3«3 
Acts  of  the  Apostles.    See  Raphael's 

Acts  of  the  Apostles 
Adam,  378,  384,  390,  392 

*  19 
Adoration  of  the  Magi  and  Shep- 
herds 
*293 


Aelst,  Pieter  Van,  86 
/Eneid,  The,  295 

*3»5 
Aglauroz,  413 

Ahasuerus,  264,  340,  382,  404 
Aix-en-Provence,  194,  326 
Alba,  Duke  of,  86 
Albert,    Archduke    of    the    Nether- 
lands, 99,  102,  106 

*  377 
Alcibiades,  196 

Alexander  the  Great,  20,   171,  196, 
276,  297,  298,  306 


417 


418 


INDEX 


Alexander  the  Great 

*3»i 
American  Looms,  206-216 

*  207,  209,  211, 215, 247, 249, 251, 

253 
Ampe,  Josse,  106 
Andromache,  296 
Anet,  Chateau  d',  154 
Angelis,  Desiderio  de,  225 
Angels,    Praising   and    Ministering, 

136 
Angers  Apocalypse,  15,  33,  36,  38- 

41,  44.45,  267,  276,  354,356 
*39 
Angers,  Cathedral  of,  51,  300,  354 
Angers,   Abbey  of   Ronceray   near, 

70 
Anglesey,  Lord,  17 
Anguier,  M.,  164 
Animals  Fighting,  173,  192 

*333 

Animals  in  Tapestries,  48-52,  54,  58, 
264 

Anjou,  Duke  of,  38,  297 

Anne  of  Denmark,  115 

Anne  of  England,  Queen,  117,  350 

Annunciation  of  Our  Lady,  42 

Antony  and  Cleopatra,  179 

Antwerp,  99,  227 

Apocalypse.  See  also  Angers  Apoc- 
alypse 

Apollo 

*  103,  307 

Apostles.       See    Raphael's  Acts  of 
the  Apostles;    Christ  and  the 
Apostles 
Apostles,  Story  of  the,  113 
Arabesques.     See  Grotesques 
Arabesque  Months,  172,  173 
Arachne,  Story  of,  296 
Arazzeria  Medicea,  220 
Arazzi,  360.     See  also  Arras 
Arden,  216 


Ariadne  and  Bacchus,  22 

Aristotle,  196 

Arms,  Coats  of,  106,  117,  119,  124, 

125,    126,    142,    144,    148,    191, 

223,  290 

*  183,  187 
Arnault,  190 

Arras,  33,  42,  43,  86,  99,  141,  146, 
153,  232-235,  237,  239, 284,295 

*233 
Arras,  Counterfeit,  260 
Artemisia,  Mausolus  and,  154,  344 

*  155 

Arthur,  King,  297,  298,  300 

Arts,  The,  179 

Aspasia,  196 

Asselt,  Bernardino  Van,  222,  409 

Assisi,  Don  Francisco  d',  160,  177 

Assumption,  201 

Astier,  Colonel  d',  94,  305 

Astrsea,  196 

Aubusson,  Tapestry  Works  at,  128, 

132,    134,    138,    166,    198-205, 

214,  232 

*  Colour  plate  no.  IV,  203 
Aubusson,  Pierre  d',  50 
Audenarde.     See  Oudenarde 
Audran,  22,  30 

*  175 

Audran,  Claude,  174,  176,  205,  237, 
321 

*  175 

Audran,  Jean,  163,  177,  180,  182 
Audran,  Michel,  163 
Augustus,  King  of  Poland,  193 
Augustus,     the     Roman     Emperor, 

306,  384 
Aulhac    Tapestries,    The,    58,    256, 

301,  302,  326 
.Aumale,  Duke  d',  122 
Aunes  (Ells),  French  and  Flemish, 

48, 119, 124, 125,  170,  184,  276- 

278 


INDEX 


419 


Austrian   Collection,    Imperial,    82, 
159,   284,   286,   288,   290,   306, 
308,  332,  400 
*97,  291,  367,  375,  399 
Autumn 

*3»3 
Auvergne,  200,  201 
Auxerre,  Cathedral  of,  66 
Avalos  Family.     See  Pescara 
Avery  Library.     See  Columbia  Uni- 
versity Library 
Axelstierna,  Count  Johan,  120 
Aylesford,  Battle  of,  139 

Babou,  Philibert,  154 
Bacchanals,  The,  115 
Bachiacca,  220 

*  219 
Backgammon,  Game  of 

*337 
Badin,  Jules,  330,  332 
Bailie  des  Roses,  51,  264,  374 

*53 
Baillet,  Bishop  Jehan,  66 
Bale  Museum,  298 
Banquet  Scene,  Flemish,  27 
Baptism,  62,  388,  390,  392 
Barberini,  158,  222,  223 
Barcelona  Courthouse,  366 
Barcheston,  Tapestry  Works  at,  142 
Bardac  Collection,  374 
Baroque  Tapestries,  368,  404,  406, 

407-409 
Basse  Lisse.     See  Low  Warp 
Bataille,  Nicolas,  38,  153,  217,  267 
Bathsheba,  20,  280,  282,  398 

*285 

Batons,  276,  278 

Battles  of  the  Swedish  King  Charles 

XI,  190 
Baudoin,  M.,  166 
Baumgarten,  William,  140,  206 
Bayard.     See  Chevalier  Bayard 


Bayeu,  F.,  228 

Bayeux  Tapestry,  36,  237,  326 
Beaume,  Guillaume  de  la,  60,  414 
Beaune,  64,  262 

*69 
Beauvais,  22,  24,  90,  128,  134,  179, 
180,    182,    185-198,    201,    214, 
232,  240,  243,  246,  330,  332, 404 

*  187,  colour  plate  no.  I 
Beauvais  Cathedral,  82,  90,  190 
Beauvais  Tapestries  in  America,  16 
Behagle,  Philip,  90,  189-191 
Belleville  Tapestries,  198 

Belton,  146 

Benedetto  da  Milano,  222 

Benood,  William,  145 

Berain,  189,  190 

Berghen,  Peeter  Van  Der,  306 

Berlin,  226,  227 

Berlin  Museum,  82,  86 

Bernard,  Michel,  45 

Berne  Historical   Museum,   51,   58, 

268,  388,  414 
Berri,     Duke    of,    the    brother    of 

Charles  V,  42,  297 
Berthier,  92 
Berwick  and  Alba,   Duke  of,    130, 

279 

*28l 

Besche,  242,  243 

Besnier,  Nicolas,  22,  24,  193-195 
Bess  of  Hardwycke,  143 
Bethlehem,  Star  of,  136 

*  135 

Bezons,  The  Fair  at,  192 
Bible  des  Pauvres,  67 
Bible  in  Tapestries,  279-294 
Biest,  Hans  Van  Der,  226 
Bievre,  The,  157,  158,  210 
Blamard,  Louis,  160 
Blumenthal,  George,  32,  52,  63,  275, 
300,  342,  406,  412,  413 
*37i 


420 


INDEX 


Bobbins,  238,  239,  244,  245,  254 

Bodleian  Library,  143 

Bohemians,  196 

Boileau,  Etienne,  242 

Bordeaux,  Arms  of 
*i83 

Borgia,  Csesar,  199 

Borders  of  Tapestries,  58,  64,  66,  82, 
88,  120,  126,  143,  144,  150,  151, 
156,  158,  166,  170,  174,  176, 
177,  237,  266,  274,  275,  361, 
374-  388,  390, 412 

Boreas  and  Orythia,  22 

Borcht,  P.  V.  D.,  24 

Boscoreale  Frescoes,  314,  316 

*3i5 
Boston  Fine  Arts  Museum,  64,  72, 
244, 268, 323 

*  73. 349 

Boston  Public  Library,  323,  324 
Boteram,  Rinaldo,  217 
Botticelli's  Primavera,  136 
Boucher,  Francois,  22,  24,  179,  180, 

182,    184,    194,    195,   213,    237, 

260,  318,  332, 348 

*  Colour  plate  no.  I,  181 
Boulle,  M.,  164 
Boussac,  Chateau  de,  50 
Boy  Between  Two  Ladies,  52 
Boyes,  The  Naked,   118.     See  also 

Children  Playing 
Boy  ton  Manor,  138 
Brabant,  Duke  of,  80,  81 
Bradshaw,  152 
Bramantino,  222 
Braquenie,  M.,  408 
Breese,  Miss  Eloise  L.,  407 
Broche,  242,  243 
Bronzino,  220 
Bronx  River,  200,  208 
Bruges,  99,  267,  388 
Bruges,  Hennequin  de,  38,  267 
Brugghcn,  T.  V.,  306 


Brussels,  21,  22,  24,  28,  84,  88,  96, 
98,  99,  152,  158,  166,  171,  173, 
192,  232,  268,  290,  366,  394,  402 

*  277,  303, 335-  343, 383 
Brussels  Mark,   88,   125,  268,   270, 

292,  306,  308, 322, 406,  412 

*  268, 270 

Brussels  Museum,  20,  36,  54,  60,  62, 
63,  77,  94,  226,  280,  300,  356, 
384 
*55.  79.  329.  33L370 

Buckingham,  Duke  of,  106,  108, 
124,125 

Bullfighting,  Children  Playing  at, 
228 

Burgos,  Cathedral  of,  280 

Burgundian,  99,  153 

Burgundian  Sacraments,  45,  262, 
274,  312,  314,  386,  388,  390, 
392,  394.  See  also  Seven  Sacra- 
ments, 30 

*  46, 47 

Burgundy,  Duke  of,  the  brother  of 
Charles  V,  42,  45,  99,  297.  See 
also  Philip  the  Good,  Charles 
the  Bold 

Burley,  148 

Burne-Jones,  Sir  Edward,  136,  255, 
338 

Burning  up  Tapestries,  15,  16 

Burton,  Dm,  no,  in,  125 

Bute,  Marquis  of,  139 

Byzantine  Tapestries,  297 

Caesar,  60,  297,  300,  398,  414 
Calais,  Capture  of 

*377 
Callet,  Antoine,  184 
Calvary,  42,  63,  342 

*339 
Candid,  Peter,  226 
Canterbury,  Archbishop  of,  74 
Canterbury  Cathedral,  74 


]«H!iiiiMiilti!lH 


INDEX 


421 


Cantonniere 

*  211 

Captions  of  Tapestries,  34,  36,  38, 
43,  44,  64,  67,  68,  70,  72,  78,  81, 
106,  108,  119,  170,  274,  286, 
290,  300,  302,  306,  308,  358, 
382,  386-388 

Cardenas,  Don  Alonzo  de,  86 

Care  of  Tapestries,  317-322,  414, 
416 

Carna valet,  Musee,  156 

Caron,  Antoine,  154,  344 

Cartoons  and  Sketches,  28,  30,  38, 
48,  70,  77,  81,  82,  88,  120,  150, 
154,  164,  170,  172,  173,  190, 
194,  196,  204,  240,  241,  252, 
256,  288,  301,  350,  360 
*85 

Casanova,  196 

Cassini,  Signor  Candido,  189 

Catharine  the  Great,  184,  228,  374 

*  229 

Catherine  of  France,  100 
Catherine  de'  Medicis,  154,  344 

*355 
Cato,  34 
Cecrops,  413 
Cephale  and  Procris,  192 
Chace,  The,  138 
Chambord,  Chateau  de 

*  167 

Charlemagne,  34,  63,  160,  297,  298, 
300 

*  371 

Charles  I  of  England,  82,  86,  105, 
106,    108,    109,    no,    in,    114, 
115,    117,    119,    120,    148,   217, 
235.  259 
Charles  II  of  England,  114,  115,  118 
Charles  V,  the  Emperor,  45,  60,  80, 
82,  94,  96,  98,  99,  102,  262,  268, 
274,  276,  292,  306,  340,  354 
*79 


Charles  V,  King  of  France,  38,  42, 

297 
Charles  VI  of  France,  100 
Charles  VII  of  France,  100 
Charles  VIII,   Equestrian   Portrait 

of,  52,  262 
Charles  XI  of  Sweden.     See  Battles 

of 
Charles  the  Bold,  51,  60,  99,   100, 

340,  388,  414 
Charles  Gustave  of  Sweden,  120,  122 
Charolais,   Count   of.     See  Charles 

the  Bold 
Charron,  A.  C,  22,  180,  195,  196 
Chartres  Museum,  96 
Cherubs,  180 
Chevalier  Bayard,  58,  256,  301,  302, 

326,  364 
Chevreul,  235 

Chicago  Art  Institute,  140,  206 
Chicago    Society    of    Antiquarians, 

140,  206 
Children  Playing,  115,  145,  188,  192, 

264 
*  265,  387 
Child  Gardeners,  166 
Children    Playing  at    Bull-fighting, 

228 
Chinese  Grotesque,  190 
Chinese  Scenes,  24,  192,  196,  260 

*203 

Cholmondeley,  Marquis  of,  115 
Christ  and  the  Apostles,  34 
Christ.     See     Angers     Apocalypse, 

41;    also  Passion  of  Our  Lord, 

42 
Christ,  Life  of,  63,  67,  70,  74,  76, 

156,  223,  360,  404,  413,  414 
*7i,  341-  4i5 
Christian  IV  of  Denmark,  109,  115 
Christiania,  230,  365 
Christiansen,  Mile.  Augusta,  230 
Church,  The,  382 


422 


INDEX 


City  Champion,  139 
Clarke,  Sir  C.  Purdon,  56 
Cleaning  Tapestries,  320-322 
Clement  XI,  Pope,  225 
Cleopatra,  398,  406 

*277 
Cleveland,  Duchess  of,  139 
Cleyn,  Francis,  109,  112,  117,  118, 

120,  148,  275 
Clorinda,  159 
Clovis,  60,  62,  64,  160,  358 

*299 
Cluny  Museum,  48,  50,  54,  62,  63, 
66,  156,  264,  280 

*  49,  283,  285,  363 
Colbert,  153,  164,  173,  186,  201,  202 
Coles  Collection,  21,  374 
Coligny,  Admiral,  96 
Collections  and  Catalogues  of  them, 

346,  348 
Colosseum,  The  Roman,  402 

*40i 
Columbia    University   Library,   40, 

323,  356 
Comans,   Marc  de,    105,    106,   157, 

159,  162,  166,  223,  328 
Commerce,  21 

Commonwealth,  The,  113,  260 
Como,  Cathedral  of,  220 
Compiegne,  Chateau,  192,  194 
Concert,  The,  51 

*327 
Confirmation,  390 
Constantine,  the  Emperor,  63,  159, 

160 
Constantinople,  Bishop  of,  267 
Coptic  Tapestries,  244,  297 
Cormon,  M.,  198 
Coucy,  Chateau  de,  216 
Country  Sports,  196 
Coypel,  Antoine,  176,  179 
Coypel,  Charles,  30,  176,  179,  180, 

194,  237,  274 


Coypel,  Noel,  172,  174,  237 
Cozette,  Michel-Henry,  163 
Cozette,     Pierre-Francois,    22,    30, 

163,  177,  180,  184 
Craight,  Peter  de,  106 
Crane,  Sir  Francis,   105,   108,   109, 

no,  in,  112,  119 
Crane,  Captain  Richard,  112 
Crane,  Walter,  134 
Creation,  The,    62,  218,   279,  280, 

340.     See  also  Gerona  Creation 

*28l 

Credo,  the  Short;   Credo,  the  Long, 

42 
Cretif,  Marc,  304 
Creuse,  200 
Cromwell,  the  Lord  Protector,  114, 

118,  260,  286 
Cronstrdm,  189,  190 
Cross,  Finding  of  the,  62 
Crow,  Sir  Sackville,  114,  118,  125, 

145 
Crucifixion,  42,  280 
Cumberland,  Duke  of,  152 
Cupid,  396,  398 

*375 
Cyrus  the  Great,  227 

Damoiselet,  192 
Daphnis  and  Chloe,  179 
Darcel,  Alfred,  126,  324,  334 
David,  67,  280,  282,  297,  298,  300, 
390 

♦283,285,  351 
David  Instructing  Solomon,  136 
Davillier  Triumph  of  the  Virgin,  63, 
268,  384 

♦269 
Dearie,  J.  W.,  134,  136,  255 
Death  of  the  Virgin,  42 
Decius  Mus,  306 
De  Kay,  John,  216 
Delacroix,  Dominique,  163 


iHH«Ml!f»H(»»«SlCllllia«HlHU« 


INDEX 


423 


Delacroix,  Jean,  163 
Delafraye,  Jean,  163 
Delft,  20,  99 

♦287 
Delorme,  Philibert,  154 
Demay,  Stephen,  148,  151 
Demidoff.     See    San    Donato    Sale 
1880,  in  Index  of  Bibliography 
Dene,  Henri,  74 

Denia,  Duchess  of,  275,  366,  413 
Denmark,  King  of,  184 
Deposition  from  the  Cross,  62 
Deshays,  195,  196 
Desoria,  196 

Desportes,  Alexandre-Francois,  179 
Destree,  Joseph,  356,  384 
Devonshire,  Duke  of,  54 

*57 
Diana,  24,  112,  154,  159 

*  175,  221,385 
Dido  and  /Eneas,  113,  159,  306 

*3°5 
Dolace,  John,  142 
Don  Quixote,  30,45,  176-179,  194, 

227,  237,  274,  276,  416 
Dortmund  Rathaus,  227 
Dourdin,  Jacques,  42 
Dresden  Museum,  82 
Drouais,  184 
Dubois,  Ambroise,  159 
Dubourg,  Maurice,  156 
Dumons,  192,  202,  204,  260 
Dunkirk,  127 
Duplessis,  22,  192,  193 
Durante,  Pietro,  225 
Diirer,  Albrecht,  414 
Dyck,  Antoine  Van,  120 
Dyes,  235,  254 

*253 

Eden,  Garden  of,  280 

*I9 
Edinburgh,  142 


Egypt,  297 

Elements,  148,  166,  174 

*  165,  335 
Elijah,  156 

Elizabeth,  Queen,  139 
Ells.     See  Aunes 
Elymas  the  Sorcerer,  112 
Enghien,  99,  264 

*265 

England,  105-152,  324,  326,  328,  366 

*  147 

England,  Arms  of,  1 19 
Entrefen£tres,  166 
Erlanger,  Baron  d',  62,  87,  279 
Eroli,  Erulo,  225 
Este,  94,  218,  220 
Escorial,  227,  228 

Esther,  18,  179,  184,  264,  285,  340, 
382,  404 

*  369,  403 
Estrees,  Count  d',  116 
Eton  College  Chapel,  136 
Eucharist,  The  Holy,  62,  64,  70,  72 

*73 
Eve,  67,  378,  384,  390,  392 
Exeter  College  Chapel,  136 

*  135 

Exeter,  John  Fifth  Earl  of,  148 
Exposition.    See  Union  Centrale 
Exposition,  Chicago,  139 
Expositions,  Brussels,  136,  226,  279, 

336 
Exposition,  Milan,  of  1874,  90 
Expositions,  Paris,  68,  136,  205,  230, 

338 
Expositions  des  Primitifs  Francais, 

36, 374 
Exposition,  St.  Louis,  214 
Extreme  Unction,  388,  392 
Eyck,  Van,  384 
*373 

Fames,  The,  160 


424 


INDEX 


Felletin,  166,  199,  201 

Ferdinand,   Brother   of    Charles  V, 

and   later  Emperor,  80,  81,  99, 

102,  262,  340 

*79 
Fere,  Pierrot,  43,  267 
Ferloni,  Pietro,  21,  225,  406 
Ferrara,  218,  220,  259 
Ffoulke,  Charles  M.,  223 

*35i 
Field,  Columbian  Museum,  208 
Filleul,  The  Brothers,  191,  192 
Finch,  Daniel,  Earl  of  Nottingham, 

148 
Finch,  Pearl,  148 
Finland,  230 
Fizameau,  Sieur,  202 
Flanders,  99-104,  128,  141,  154,  232, 

243 
Flemish,  99-104,  324,  396 
Flemish  Weavers,  106,  128,  141,  142, 

157,    160,    163,   186,    189,  217- 

220,  227, 235 
Flora,  136 

Florence,  189,  220,  221 
Florence    Tapestry    Museum,    220, 

280,  354 
*  219,  221,  353,  355 

Flute,  243 

Fontainebleau,  96,  154,  159,  171 
Fontenay,  Blin  de,  192 
Foquentin,  Pierre,  106 
Foucquet,  160,  162 
Four  Ages,  196 
Four  Parts  of  the  World,  196 
Foussadier,  M.,  206,  208 
France,  153-205,  324 
France,  Story  of,  160,  185 
Francis  I,  The  Emperor,  88 
Francois  I  of  France,  82,  86,  94,  96, 
154.  262,  308,  310,  354;    Story 
of,  160 
*3°9 


French  National  Collection,  82,  94, 
118,    119,    156,    159,    170,    173, 
190,  332,  334 
*23,93,  123,  165, 169,  175, 181,391 

French  Revolution,  196,  197,  204 

Fructus  Belli.     See  Fruits  of  War 

Fruits  of  War,  94,  172,  173 

*367 
Fulham,  151 

Furniture  Coverings,  152,  182,  184, 
197,  198,  199 

*  Colour  plate  no.  IV 

Gabriel,  34 

Garden  Party,  394,  396-398 

*  Colour  plate  no.  II 
Genoa,  109,  120 
Genouels,  M.,  166 
Gentlemen  with  the  Crane,  52 
Genius  of  the  Arts,  180 

George  V  of  England,   Coronation 

of,  138 
Germany,  202,  230,  324,  413 

*3i3,  319.  329,  415 
Gerona  Creation,  The,  36 
Geubels,  Francois  (Frans  Van),  96, 

306 
Gideon,  67 
Giulio  Romano,  94,   115,   118,   145, 

172,  218, 304 
*95,  309 
Giving  of   the    Roses.     See   Baillec 

des  Roses 
Glemham  Hall,  146 
Gobelin,  Jean  and  Philibert,  157 
Gobelin  mark 

*  271 
Gobelin    master-weavers,    List    of, 

1621,  63 
Gobelin  Museum,  51,  J2,  156,  171, 

267 
Gobelins,  The,  18,  21,  22,  24,  28,  30, 

45,  90,  96,  128,  132,  134,  138, 


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INDEX 


425 


153-185,   193.   194.   197.  200, 
204,  205,  210,  214,  232,  235, 
241,  243,  246,   260,  275,  295, 
298,317,330,346,416 
*3i,  165,  167,  169,  175,  181,  183, 
287,333,357,391 
Godfrey  de  Bouillon,  297,  298,  300 
Golden  Age  of  Tapestry,  28,  33,  237, 

3i8 
Gombaut  and  Mace,  160 

*  161 

Gondebaut,  Victory  over,  60 
Gonzaga,  87,  88,  217,  258,  259,  288 
Goose  Girl,  The,  134 
Goten.     See  Vandergoten 
Gothic-Renaissance  Transition,  28, 
33,  77 

*  69,  75,  373 

Gothic  Tapestries,  28,  33-76,  153, 
264,  267,  268,  280,  311-315, 
368,374,394,400,409,412 

Gothic   Verdures  with   Personages, 
48-52,  216,  264,  374,  376 
*207,  215,327 

Gower,  Lord  Ronald,  139 

Goya,  227,  228,  362 

Grafton,  1 1 1 

Granada,  Capture  of,  322 

Grand  Prizes,  136,  205,  214 

Granson,  60,  100 

Great  Wardrobe,  The  King's,  146, 
152 

Greece,  Ancient,  295-297 

Grotesques,  21,  94,  142,  174,  176, 
192,  220,  237,  205,  406 

*  175,353,379 
Guarini's  Pastor  Fido,  160 
Guerande,  Martin,  72 
Guesclin,  Bertrand  du,  297,  298 
Guiffrey,  Jean,  94,  304 

Guiffrey,  Jules,  43,  48,  153,  160,  185, 
267,  323,  324,  326,  328,  330, 
332,  348 


Guild  of  Saracen  Tapestry  Makers, 

241,  242 
Guise,  Belles  Chasses  de.  See  Hunts 

of  Maximilian,  96 
Guise,     Charles     de,     Cardinal     of 

Lorraine,  60 
Guise,  Duke  Francois  de,  60 
Gutbier,  Adolf,  301 
Guyot,  Laurence,  160 

Hachette,  Jeanne,  198 

Haddon  Hall,  146 

Halberstadt   Tapestries,    Cathedral 

of,  34,  225 
Hallenbirch,  John,  114 
Hallenbirch,  Philip,  114 
Hamburg,  230 
Hamilton  Sale,  21 
Hampton  Court,  82,  87,   114,   115, 

118,  217,  284,  350,  352,  400 
Hanging  Tapestries,  318,  320 

*25 
Hansen,  Madame  Frida,  230 

*23I 

Hardwicke    Hall    Hunting    Tapes- 
tries, 15,  54-58 

*57 
Harriman,  Mrs.  E.  H.,  216 
Hatchings   of   Tapestries,    28,    234, 

394 

Hatfield  House,  144 

Haute  Lisse.     See  High  Warp 

Hector,  296,  297,  298,  300,  302 

Heilbronner  Collection,  52  (twice) 

Helen  of  Troy,  296,  398 

Hendrix,  Jacques,  106 

Henrietta  Maria,  115 

Henri  II  of  France,  96,  154,  344 

*355 
Henri  III  of  F ranee,  200 
Henri  IV  of  France,  105,  156,  158, 

160,  184,  200,  246,  328 
Henry  V  of  England,  100 


426 


INDEX 


Henry  VI  of  England,  56 

Henry  VIII  of  England,  74,  82,  86, 

284 
Henry,  H.,  138,  140 
Hercules 

*  389.  399 
Herkinbald,  268 
Hermes  (Mercury),  413 

Hero  and  Leander,   112,   118,   120, 
148, 149 

*  121 

Heroes   and    Heroines.     See    Preux 

and  Preuses 
Herse.     See  Mercury  and  Herse 
Herter,  Albert,  214 
Herter  Looms,  214-216 
Heyns,  Simon,  106 
Hickes,  Francis,  144.     See  also 

Hyckes 
High  Warp,  162,  163,  177,  197,  201, 

225,  238-245,  296 

*233 
Hinart,  Louis,  185-189 
Hiss,  Philip,  122,  416 
Hoentschel  Collection,  52,  70,  284, 

311,  364,  394,  404 
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen,     Prince, 

226 
Holkham  House,  152 
Holloburie.     See  Hallenbirch 
Holy  Grail,  Story  of,  136,  338 

*  129,  131,  133 
Holyrood  Palace,  145 
Homer.     See  Iliad,  Odyssey 
Honel,  Nicolas,  344 
Horses,  The,  112,  118 
Houasse,  192 

Houghton  Hall,  115,  117 
Hoyt,  Alfred  W.,  394 
Huet,  J.  B.,  196 
Hunt  with  Falcon,  54 
Hunt,  The  Boar,  139 
Hunting  the  Unicorn,  52 


Hunting  Scene,  Late  Gothic 

*  207 

Hunts,  The  New,  193 

Hunts  of  Maximilian,   18,  96,   172, 

173 
Hyckes,  Richard,  142,  143 

Iliad,  The,  179,  195,  295 

Imitations  of  Tapestry,   199,  238 

Imperial  Globe,  279 

Indies,  The,  172,  173,  179,  184 

Indies,  Conquest  of,  196 

Indo-Chinese  Tapestries,  146.  See 
also  Oriental  Scenes 

Inghele,  Josse,  106 

Instruments  of  the  Passion,  51 

Invasion  of  England  by  the  Nor- 
mans, 36 

Ireland,  141 

Isabel,  Archduke  of  the  Nether- 
lands, 99,  102,  106 

Issoire,  Courthouse  of,  58,  301,  327, 
364 

Italian  Looms,  216-225,  324i  4°7 

*  219,  221,  277 

Jack  of  Diamonds.     See   Hector, 

300,  301 
Jacob,  Story  of,  290,  322,  362,  364, 

390 
♦406 
Jacquard  Picture  Tapestries,  30 
Jacques,  182,  184 
Jaille,  Isabelle  de  la,  70 
James  I  of  England,  105,  108,  115, 

119,  328 
James  II  of  England,  126 
James,   Prince,  the  Old   Pretender, 

126,  127 
Jans,  Jean  (father  and  son),  90,  162, 

163,  170 
Jans,  Jean-Jacques,  163 
Jason,  179 


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INDEX 


427 


Jeanne,  Daughter  of  the  Emperor 

Charles  V 
Jeanne,  George  Sand's,  50 
Jeaurat,  Etienne,  179 
Jeptha,  156 
Jerusalem,  Capture  of,  58,  414,  416 

*  410,  411 
Jesus,  62 

*37 
Joan  of  Arc,  100,  300 

*3I3 
Joao  de  Castro,  Deeds  of,  306 
Joseph,  Story  of,  220 
John  the  Baptist 

*373 
Joseph  II,  the  Emperor,  184 
Joshua,  290,  297,  298,  300 

*  291 
Jubinal,  M.,  301 

Judas  Maccabaeus,  297,  298 
Judith  and  Holophernes,  382 

*347 
Julius  II,  Pope,  84,  258 
Julius  III,  Pope,  92 
Jiirss,  Julius,  227 
Juno,  398 
Jupiter,  398 

Karcher,  John  and  Nicolas,  87, 

218,  220 
Kerchoe,  192 
King's  Return,  The,  226 

*329 
Knight,  136 

Knight  Armed  by  the  Ladies,  51 
Knight  Leading  a  Lady's  Horse,  52 

La  Chaise-Dieu,  63,  67,  326 
Lafontaine,  Fables  of,  194 
Lady  with  the  Unicorn,  48-51,  52, 
264 

*49 
Lagrenee,  196 


La  Marche,  200 

Lambeth,  Tapestry  Works  at,  145, 

146 
Larssen,  Carl,  230 
Last  Judgment,  62,  280,  346 
Lauingen,  226,  352 
Laurent,  Henri,  90,  162,  170 
Latona 

*357 
Lebarbier,  196 
Leblond,  Etienne,  163 
Leblond,  Etienne-Claude,  163 
Lebrun,  Charles,  90,  148,  153,  160, 
162,    164,    166,    170,    171,    173, 
236,241,260,275 

*  165,  167,  169 
Lecoq,  Hugues,  68 

Lefevre,  Jean  (father  and  son),  90, 

162,  163,  170 
Lefevre,  Pierre,  162 

*  221 
Leefdael,  406 
Leinster,  Duke  of,  139 
Leipsic,  193 

Le  Mans,  Cathedral  of,  64,  72 

*75 
Lemke,  Ph.,  190 
Lenoncourt,    Reverend    Robert   de, 

64,  262 
Lenygon,  Francis,  152 
Leo  X,  Pope,  81,  84,  90,  92,  109 
Leopold,  Prince,  138,  140 
Leprince,  196 
Lerambert,  Henri,  154,  344 
Leroux,  Louise,  70 
Le  Roy  Collection,  Martin,  52 

*203 

Lessing,  Julius,  362 
Le  Viste,  House  of,  50 
Leyniers,  Daniel,  21,  24,  152 
Leyniers,  Everaert,  288 
Leyniers,  Jan,  288 
Lille,  99 


428 


INDEX 


Lisses,  The,  248,  250,  252 

♦251 
Loretto,  Cathedral  of,  82 
London    Bridge,     Tournament    on, 

139 
Loriquet,  Charles,  358 
Lorraine,  286,  288.     See  also  Guise, 

Charles  de 
Louis-Philippe  sale,  18 
Louis  XI  of  France,  60,  86,  100 
Louis  XIII  of  France,  223 
Louis  XIV,  The  Story  of,   168-171, 

179, 262, 276, 310 

*  169,  263 

Louis  XIV,  Conquests  of,  189 
Louis  XIV  of  France,  82,  122,  126, 
160, 162, 178, 189, 235, 246 

*  167 

Louis  XV  of  France,  178,  182,  195, 

199, 202 
Louis  XV,  The  Hunts   of,  179,  205, 

276 
Louis  XVI  of  France,  177,  184,  199 
Louis    of    Luxembourg,    Count  of 

Saint  Pol,  60 
Louvois,  173 

Louvre,  Tapestry  Works  at,  156 
Louvre  Cabinet  of  Designs,  94 
Louvre  Museum,  62,  63,  72,  94,  96, 

256,  268,  280,  304,  384 

*  257. 269 

Loves  of  the  Gods,  22,  180,  194,  195, 

246 
Lovett,  John,  141 
Lowengard  Collection,  397 
Low  Warp,  118,  124,  162,  177,  197, 

201,  238-254 
♦247,249,  251,253 
Lucas   Van   Leyden,   96.     See  also 

Months  of  Lucas 
Luxuria,  142 

Lyons  Museum,  33,  237,  356 
*35 


MacVeagh,  Hon.  Wayne,  362 

Madonna  with  Attendants,  21 

Madrid,  24,  128,  227,  362 

Maecht,  Philip  de,  106,  in,  117, 
148,  158 

Magazines  that  print  tapestry  ar- 
ticles, 366 

Magdalen,  42 

Maincourt,  Renaud  de,  218 

Maincy,  Tapestry  Works  at,  160 

Male,  M.  Emile,  67 

Man,  Story  of,  279 

*  17 

Mancini,  Marquis,  90 

Mander,  K.  V.,  344 

Mantegna's  Triumphs  of  Caesar,  84, 
114, 115,  118,  125,  217,  256-260 

Mantua,  87,  88,  217,  258-260 

Mantua,  Church  of  Saint  Barbara 
at,  88 

Mantua,  Marchese  of,  84 

Margaret  of  Anjou,  56,  340 

Margaret  of  Austria,  80,  81,  99,  102, 
292 

Margaret  of  Parma,  99,  102 

Margaret  of  York,  60,  340 

Marie  Antoinette,  Queen,  184 

Marie  Leczinska,  Queen,  184 

Marignan,  Battle  of,  160 

Marigny,  Marquis  de,  180 

Marine  Divinities,  190 

Marks  and  Signatures,  21,  22,  24, 
43.  44.  57,  64,  68,  70,  72,  74,  88, 
90,  115,  116,  119,  122,  125,  143, 
144,  148,  152,  160,  163,  170, 
190,  191,  222,  225,  267-273, 
284,  288,  306,  322,  336,  344, 
352,  413 

Marquand  sale,  20 

Marriage,  390,  392 
*i83 

Marriage  of  Cana,  311,  312,  404 

*  71 


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INDEX 


429 


Marriage  of  Mercury  and  Philology. 

See  Quedlimburg  Rugs 
Mars,  1 60 
Mars  and  Venus,  22 
Marsyas 

♦307 
Martin,  J.  B.,  190 
Martin  V,  Pope,  217 
Mary  of  Burgundy,  60,  99,  100 
Mary  of  Hungary,  99,  102,  306 
Mathieu,  M.,  170 
Materials  of  tapestries,  42,  44,  56, 

234.  235.    378,    380,    386,  409. 

412 
Matignon,  Charles-Auguste  de,  126, 

127 
Maximilian,  The  Emperor,  80,  99, 

100,   340.     See  also   Hunts  of 

Maximilian 
Mazarin,  Cardinal,  90,  122,  162 
Mazarin  Inventory',  122-125 
Mazarin  Tapestry,  32,  63,  234,  280, 

284,    336,    378,    380,    383,    384, 

386,  400,  412 
*3°9 
Meaux,  Cathedral  of,  190 
Medici,  220,  224,  259 
Meleager  and  Atalanta,  The  Hunts 

of,  160 
Menon,  Sieur  de,  196,  197,  404 
Merche,  242,  243 
Mercier,  Pierre,  202 
Mercury.     See  Quedlimburg  Rugs 
Mercury  and    Herse,  32,  366,  412, 

413 

*  Colour  plate  no.  Ill 
Merou,  Sieur  de,  22,  192,  193 
Merry  Wives  of  Windsor,  139 
Merton,  Tapestry  Works  at,   127- 

138,  266,  339 

*  129,  131,  133,  135,  137,233 
Metamorphoses,  124,  174,  192,  194, 

295 


Metropolitan  Museum,  21,  30,  45, 
56,  58,  70,  106,  120,  121,  177, 
223,  228,  264,  274,  297,  312, 
348, 350,  388-416 
*46,  47,  71,  107,  123,  369,  401, 
403,  410, 411,  415,  colour  plates 
nos.  II  and  III 

Metropolitan  Museum  Library,  40, 
91,  323,  324,  340,  356 

Mexican  serapes,  245 

Michael,  34 

Michiel,  Marc-Antonio,  84,  258 

Middlebourg,  99 

Mignard,  Pierre,  172,  173 

*357 
Milan,  88 

*  29 

Military  Scenes,  196 

Mimata,  Canon  de,  74 

Miracles     of     the     Eucharist.     See 

Eucharist 
Moliere,     The    Comedies    of,    193, 

348 
Monmerque,  Mathieu,  163 
Monnoyer,  Baptiste,  164 
Monsian,  196 
Montague,  Ralph,  117 
Montespan,  Madame  de,  189 
Montezert,  Pierre  de,  202 
Months,  The,  118,  146,  176,  220 

*  219, 379, 39i 

Months  of  Lucas,  18,  172,  173 

Montmorency,  Constable,  92 

Moorish  Tapestries,  297 

Morality  Plays,  294 

Morat,  60,  100 

Morris,  William,  127-136,  255,  266, 

338 
Morgan,  J.  Pierpont,  32,  45,  70,  92, 

94,  177,  226,  280,  312,  380,  396, 

413,  416 
*7i,  369,  403 
Morte  d'Arthur,  139 


430 


INDEX 


Mortlake,  28,  90,  105-127,  156,  158, 
232,  235,275,316 

*  107,  121,  123 
Mortlake  mark,  1 1 6,  246,  271 
Morton,  Cardinal,  74 
Moscow  Museum,  228 

Moses,  67,  96,  156,  171,  222,  288, 

406,  408,  409 
Mozin,  Jean-Baptiste,  163 
Munich,  226,  268,  352 
Munthe,  Gerhard,  230 
Musee  des  Arts  Decoratifs,  51,  54, 

190 

*  27,  345 

Muses,  The,  160.     See  also  Apollo 
Museum  Guides,  348,  350,  352,  354, 
356, 358 

Nancy,  100,  288 
Nantes,  Edict  of,  202 
Naples  Museum,  98,  354 

*3°9 
Napoleon,  177,  204 
Nassaro,  Matteo  del,  154 
Nassau,  Prince  of,  173 
Natoire,  Charles,  179,  194 
National  Society  of  Sculpture,  212 
Nattier,  184 
Navajo  blankets,  245 
Neilson,  Jacques,  30,  163,  174,  177, 

180,  197 
Neptune  and  Amymone,  22 
Netherlands,  99-104,  153,  308 
New  Testament,  62,  176,  290 
New  York,  206,  214,  216,  246 
New  York  Museum  of  Natural  His- 
tory, 244,  262 
New  York  Public  Library,  323 
New  York,  Story  of,  216 
Newton,  Lord,  of  Lyme,  149 
Nicolas  V,  Pope,  218 
Night 

*  221 


Nimes  Tapestries,  198 
Noble  Pastoral,  195,  348 
Normans.     See    Invasion    of    Eng- 
land by  the  Normans 
Norway,  230,  245,  364 

♦231 
Notre  Dame  du  Sablon,  77-81,  336 

*79 
Nottingham,  Earl  of,  148-151 
Nouzou,  21 

Nuremberg,  33,  226,  237 
Nys,  Daniel,  259 

Odyssey,  124,  295 

Oktanton,  76 

Old  Testament,  156,  176,  290 

*  101 

Opera  Fragments,  179 
Oriental  kelims,  245 
Oriental  rugs,  26,  36,  242-244 
Oriental  Scenes 

*  147 

Orleans,    Henri    d'.     See    Aumale, 

Duke  d' 
Orleans,      Philip,      Duke     of.     See 

Regent 
Orley,   Barend  Van   (Bernard),  84, 

96,  172,  292,  308,  340,  354 

*  309,  339 

Oudenarde,  99,  106,  158,  163,  264 
Oudry,  Jean  Baptiste,  22,  24,  179, 

182,    193-195,    197,    205,    318, 

348 
Ovid.     See  Metamorphoses,   and 

Arachne 
Outdoor  Games,  193 
Owen,  Sir  Cunliffe,  139 

Paintings.     See  Tapestries  and 

Paintings 
Pallas,  296 

Pannemaker,  Pieter  Van,  292 
Pannemaker,  Willem  Van,  98,  284, 

292,  308,  412 


liMiiimiftiMmi^ 


INDEX 


431 


Paris,  Tapestry  Works  at,  38,  128, 
246.     See  also  the  Gobelins 

*  155- 33i 
Paris  Mark,  160 
Parisot,  Peter,  151 
Parrocel,  Charles,  179 
Partridge,  Bernard,  138 

Passion.     See    Instruments    of    the 
Passion,  51 

Passion  of  Christ,  20 

Passion  of  Our  Lord,  42,  63,  342 

Pastoral  Scenes,  213 

Patrons,    Grands   and    Petits,   256, 
260,  301,  302 

Pau,  96 

Pavia,  Battle  of,  96,  308,  354 
♦309 

Peasant  Tapestries,  230 

Pegasus,  the  Horse,  159 

Pembroke,   William,   First   Earl  of, 
142 

Penelope,  295,  296 

Penni,  Francesco,  304 

Pennsylvania    Museum    of    Indus- 
trial Art,  322 

Penthesilea,  51,  300,  302 

Permentiers,  Jan,  288 

Persian  rugs,  48 

Peruvian  Tapestries,  244 

Pescara,  Don  Avalos  de,  98 

Peter  the  Great,  173,  228 

*  229 

Philip,  Master,  62 

Philip  II  of  Spain,  82,  96,  99,  102, 

292 
Philip  the  Good,  Duke  of  Burgundy, 

44,  68,  99,  100,  244,  340,  388 
Philip  the   Handsome,   81,   86,  99, 

102,  292 
Picardy,  186,  201 
Pickering,  Sir  Gilbert,  114,  260 
Piscina  Probatica,  358 

*2D9 


Pius  VII,  Pope,  92 

Planche,  Frangois  de  la,   105,   106, 

J57»   J59.   IOO>    l62>    166,   223, 

328 
Planche,  Raphael  de  la,  159 
Planken,     Frans     Van     Den.     See 

Planche 
Plato,  34 

Plessis-Mace,  Chateau  du,  72 
Pluto  and  Proserpine,  22 
Poldi  Pezzoli  Museum 

*  29 
Polidore,  Story  of,  115 
Polovtsoff  Sale,  22 
Pomona,  136 

Pompadour,  Madame  de,  184 
Pope,  The,  382 
Portieres  of  the  Gods,  174 
Portland  Family,  76 
Portraits  in  Tapestries,  80,  96,  115, 

182,  184,  228,  262,  306 
Pottier  &  Stymus,  216 
Poussin,  171 

Poyntz,  Francus,  115,  116,  146 
Poyntz,  Thomas,  146 
Presburg,  230 
Presentation  of  the  Infant  Jesus  at 

the  Temple,  36,  338 

*37 

Preux  and  Preuses,  51,  297,  298, 
300 

Prices  of  Tapestries,  18-24,  38,  39, 
40,  84,  92,  93,  109,  no,  III, 
112,  113,  115,  149,  170,  176, 
182,  188,  191,  193,  195,  198, 
204,  340 

Prier,  Toussaint,  43,  44 

Primaticcio,  154 

Procaccini,  Andrea,  225,  227 

Proserpine,  24 

Psyche,  96,  159,  195,  318 

QUEDLIMBURG  RUGS,  36 


432 


INDEX 


Queen  of  Sheba  before  Solomon,  21 
Quicherat,  ML,  62 

Raes,  Jan,  87 

Raphael's  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  24, 
28,  77,  81-94,  io9>  1 18-120, 
148-151,  156,  172,  174,  190, 
252,  256,  260,  275,  286,  288, 
290,  3i6,  350,  358,  360,  412; 
Titles  of,  90;  Morgan  photo- 
graphs of,  92,  94 
*83,  85,  89,91,93 

Rape  of  Europa,  22 

Raphael,  96,  142,  172,  174,  235,  358 

Ratisbon  Rathaus,  225 

Recollet,  Pere  Luc,  159 

Red  Sea,  Crossing  the 
*  97,  249 

Regent,  The,  of  France,  178,  179 

Reichsapfel,  279 

Reims,  Archbishop  of,  177,  358 

Reims,  Cathedral  of,  60,  63,  64,  201, 
358 
*299 

Reims,  Church  of  Saint  Remi  at,  63, 
64,  262 
*65 

Reims,  Toiles  Peintes  of,  256,  356 

Renaissance  tapestries,  28,  77-98, 
264,  275,  280,  311,  314-316, 
368,  374,  407,  409,  412, 413 

Rennes,  298 

Repairing  tapestries,  321 

*3I9 

Restoration  of  1660,  The,  1 14 

Rest  out,  Jean,  179 

Revelation,  Gospel  of.  See  Apoca- 
lypse and  Angers  Apocalypse 

Rcydams,  H.,  288 

Reymbouts,  Martin,  290 

Ribs  of  tapestries,  28,  56,  132,  138, 
199  colour  plate  no.  IV,  232, 
233,  239, 378,  386,  394,  404 


Rhinelander,  Frederick  W.,  272, 407, 

408 
Riviera,  Jacopo  della,  223 
Rivieres,  118,  125,  126 
Robb  Sale,  52 
Rocci,  Gasparo,  224 
Roche  Aymon,  Cardinal  de  la,  177 
Roche-Guyon,  Chateau  de  la,  125 
Rococo  tapestries,  368 
Roland,  20,  60,  159 

*6i 
Rolin,  Jean;  Rolin,  Nicolas,  68,  70 
Roman  de  la  Rose,  136 
Romanelli,  Jean  Francois,  223,  224, 

306 
Rome,  21,  92,  218,  222,  225,  360,  406 
Rome,  Ancient,  295-297 
Romulus  and  Remus,  94,  306,  402 
Ronceray,  Abbey  of,  70 
Roosevelt,  Miss  Alice,  31 
Roost,  John,  218,  220 
Rosebecke,  Battle  of,  45 
Roumania,  230 
Royal  Exchange,  Queen  Elizabeth 

Opening,   139 
Royal  Residences  of  Louis  XIV,  166, 

177,205,310 
*i67 
Royal    Residences,    Views    of    the 

English,   139 
Rubens,  Peter  Paul,  119,  159,  236, 

306 
Russian  Games,  196 
Russian  Imperial  Carriage  Museum, 

173,228 
Russian  Looms,  228,  366,  374 

*  229 
Rutland,  Countess  of,  114,  118,  125, 

145 
Rymer's  Foedera,  109 

Sabine  Women,  407,  408 
*4°5 


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INDEX 


433 


Sablon.   See  Notre  Dame  du  Sablon 

Sagan  Collection,  De,  24 

Sages,  The,  24.     See  Angers  Apo- 
calypse, 41 

Saints,  Lives  of,  279,  294 

Saint  Anatoile,  267 

Saint  Antoine,  42 

Saint  Catherine,  42 

Saint-Cloud,  Gallery  of,  172,  173 

Saint  Crispin,  156 

Saint  Crispinian,  156 

Saint  Denis,  42 

Saint  Eleuthere,  43-45,  267 

Saint  Etienne,  63,  66 

Saint  George,  42  (three  times),  220 

Saint   Gereon   fragments,    33,    225, 
237,  356 
*35 

Saint  Germain,  Faubourg,  159 

Saint  Gervais,  64,  72 

*75 
Saint  Hugh,  68 
Saint  John,  41,  292 
St.  John  the  Divine,  Cathedral  of, 

223 
Saint  Joseph,  362 
Saint  Louis  of  Toulouse,  51 
Saint  Luke  painting  the  Virgin  and 

Child,  62,  268 

*257 
Saint  Marcel,  Faubourg,  210 
Saint  Margaret,  42 
Saint  Mark,  220 
Saint  Nicaise,  201 
Saint  Paul,  The  Story  of,  113 

*393 
Saint  Peter,  218 

*363 
St.  Petersburg,  128,  173,  228,  374 
Saint  Piat,  43-45,  267 
Saint  Pol.    See  Louis  of  Luxembourg 
Saint  Protais,  64,  72 

*75 


Saint  Quentin,  63,  66,  67 
Saint  Remi,  63,  64,  201,  262 

*65 
Saint  Theseus,  42 
Sales  and  sale  catalogues,  340,  342, 

344.  346 
Salins,  267,  336 
Sand,  George,  50 
Samson,  156 
Sandwich,  142 
Sandwich,  Earl  of,  116 
San  Michele,  Hospital,  225,  227 
Santa  Barbara  Tapestry  Works,  227 

362 
Saracen,     42,     58,    198,    241  -  244, 

297 
Saragossa,  Cathedral  of,  63,  300 
Saunders,  Paul,  152 
Scherrebeck,  230 
Schickler  Collection,  52,  262 
Schiller,  138 

Schdngauer,  Marten,  414 
Sciences  and  Arts,  196 
Scipio,  Story  of,  94,  154,  172,  173, 

218, 302, 304,  306,  360 

*95 
Scotland,  267 
Screen 

*  187 
Seaports,  192 

Seasons,  The,  22,  136,  139,  144,  145, 
159,  166,  174, 184 

*3»3 
Segers,  William,  402 
Seneca,  34 

Senecterre,  Jacques  de,  67 
Serlio,  Sebastien,  154 
Servia,  230 
Seve,  M.  De,  170 
Seven    Deadly   Sins,   Tapestries   of 

the,  294 
Seven  Sacraments,  30 
Seville,  362 


434 


INDEX 


Shaw,  Byam,  136 

*  137 

Sheba,  Queen  of,  67,  226 

*  29 

Sheldon,  Ralph,  144 

Sheldon,  William,  142,  143 

Shepherds  and    Shepherdesses,    51, 
54 
*55 

Sibyl,  The  Tiburtine,  384 

Siena,  217 

Signatures.  See  Marks  and  Signa- 
tures 

Simonet,  Jean,  225 

Simpson,  Mrs.  John  W.,  223 

Sistine  Chapel,  82,  92 

Sizes  of  tapestries,  17-24,  34,  38,  44, 
45,  48,  56,  64,  67,  70,  72,  77, 
119,  125,  170,  177,  184,  224, 
275,  276,  279,  308, 396 

Sleath, 136 

Slot,  Gerard,  218 

Socrates,  34,  196 

Soho,  152 

Soissons,  Capture  of,  60 

Soissons,  Cathedral  of,  72 

Solebay,  Battle  of,  1 16 

Solomon,  67,  136,  226,  398 

*  29 
Somzee  Sale,  20 
Souef,  192 
Sonet,  Jean,  163 

South  Kensington  Museum.  See 
Victoria  and  Albert 

Southwold.     See  Solebay 

Spain,  362,  366 

Spain,  King  of,  160,  177,  228 

Spanish  Collection,  Royal,  63,  82, 
88,  94-96,  159,  190,  227,  275, 
284,  286,  308,  332,  412 

*  95,  307,  372,  373,  377,  381,  3«7, 

393,  405 
Spanish  Looms,  227 


Speculum  Humanae  Salvationis,  67 

Spicre,  Pierre,  70 

Stage  Scenes,  179 

Stanmore  Hall,  136 

Stockholm,  230 

Stoetkens,  Beatrix,  78 

Stokes,  Mrs.  Adrian,  138 

Strecken,  406 

Straaten,  Jan  Van,  222 

Stuyvesant,  Peter,  216 

Sujets  de  la  Fable,  172 

Sumner,  Heywood,  138 

Superbia,  142 

Susannah  and  the  Elders,  20 

*325 
Sweden,  230,  318 

Swedish  Collection,  Royal,  120,  148, 
190, 195, 228, 332, 334 

*  121,335 
Swiss,  60 

Tapestries  and  Paintings,  26,  276, 

311-316 
Tapissiers  sarrazinois,  241-244 
Tarragona,  Cathedral  of,  366 
Tasso's    Jesusalem    Delivered,    21, 

225,  406 
*277 
Tatler,  146 

Taxis,  Francis  de,  78,  81,  262 
Taxis,  Jean-Baptiste  de,  81 
Telemachus,  190,  296 

*343 
Temple  of  Venus,  22 
Teniers,  22,  236 

*337,  36i 
Terlon,  122 
Tessier,  182,  184 
Testelin,  M.,  170 

Texture   of   Tapestries,  26,  81,  82, 
86,  132,  138,  232-254,  376,  378, 

394 
Theagenet  and  Charides,  159 


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INDEX 


435 


Theseus,  179 

Thomson,  Mrs.  Archibald,  406 

Titans,  Combat  of,  218 

Titus,  the  Roman  Emperor,  58,  346, 

402,  414 
Tobias,  22 

♦287 
Torental,  230 
Toudouze,  Edouard,  298 
Toulouse,  Count  of,  189,  190 
Tournai,  99,  267 
Tournai,  Cathedral  of,  43,  44 
Tracey,  Sir  John,  144 
Trespassement  de  Notre  Dame,  42 
Trinite,  Hopital  de  la,  154,  156 
Trinity,  42,  279 
Triptych  Tapestries,  63 

♦269,  369,  370,  371 
Triulce  Months,  222 
Triumph  of  Christ,  20,  32,  62,  280, 
300,  380,  382,  384 

*  369,  370 

Triumph  of  Cupid,  396,  398,  400 

*  375.  395 
Triumph  of  David,  21 
Triumph  of  Fame,  20 

*365 

Triumph  of  Gluttony,  20 

*359 
Triumphs  of  the  Gods,  172,  174 
Triumph  of  Time,  396,  398 

*395 
Triumph  of  the  Virgin,  20,  63,  268, 

384 

*  269,  372 
Triumphal  Car,  160 

Trojan  War,  58,  256,  301,  302,  364, 
366 

*59 
Trondhjem,  230 

Troy,  Jean-Frangois  de,  179,  284 
Truth,  Blindfolding  of,  136 

*  137 


Tunis,   Conquest  of,  98,    160,   227, 

274,  276,  306,  308 
Turkish  Costumes,  180 
Turkish  Embassy,  179 

Ulysses,  296 

Unicorn.  See  Lady  with  Unicorn, 
48-51 ;  Hunting  the  Unicorn,  52 
*49 

Union  Centrale  Tapestry  Exposi- 
tion 1882,  36,  125,  338 

Urban  VIII,  Pope,  222,  223 

V ala vis,  M.,  159 
Valentinois,  Duchess  of,  199 
Vandalism,  15,  16,  40,  56 
Vanderbank,  John,  146,  148 
Vanderbank,  Moses,  148 
Vanderbilt,  C,  140 
Vandergoten,  Jacques,  24,  227 
Vandermeulen,  Adam  Francois,  164 
Vanloo,  Amedee,  180 
Vanloo,  Carle,  179 
Vanloo,  Louis  Michel,  182 
Vasari,  86 
Vatican,  77,  88,  90,  92,  94,  290,  358, 

362 
Vatican,  Chambers  of,  172 
Vaucanson,  197 
Vauxcelles,  Peace  of,  96 
Vaux-le-Vicomte,  160 
Venice,  217,  259 
Venus,  Passing  of,  136 
Venus,  The  Temple  of,  193 
Verdures,  48,  199,264,266.    See  also 
Gothic  Verdures  with  Personages 
Verdures,  Oudry's,  194 
Vermeyen,  Jean,  98,  306,  308 
Vermoulen,  Louis,  106,  1 1 1 
Vernansal,  190,  192 
Verrio,  114 

Versailles  Museum,  166 
Verteuil,  Chateau  de,  52 


436 


INDEX 


Vertumnus  and  Pomona,  94,  195, 
306,  340 

*  Colour  plate  no.  I,  1S1 
Vices  and  Virtues,  62,  280 
Victoria,  Queen,  139 

Victoria  and  Albert  Museum,  18,  33, 
56,  58,  77,  108,  118,  126,  136, 
139,  149,  226,  237,  252,  256, 
324,  326,  328,  364,  380 

*  59.  325 
Vigevano,  222 
Village  Marriage,  188 
Vincent,  Francois  Andre,  184 
Virgin,  The,  42,  63,  201,  220,  292, 

346.  See  Trespassement  de 
Notre  Dame,  42;  Saint  Luke 
Painting  the  Virgin,  62 ;  Notre 
Dame  du  Sablon,  77-81 

Virgin  at  Beaune,  The,  63,  68,  263 
*6g 

Virgin  at  Reims,  The,  33,  63,  66,  67, 
358 

*  261,  289 

Vos,  Judocus  De,  308 
Vouet,  Simon,  156 
Vulcan  and  Venus,  22,  96,  106,  no, 
114,  118,  120-127,  145,  146,  180 

*  107,  123 

Wales,  Prince  of,  106,  115 
Walk  in  the  Country,  51 
Wallace,  Sir  Richard,  139 
Wardle,  T.,  130,  132,  136 
Warwickshire,  Map  of,  143 
Wauters,  M.,  306 


Weaving,  The  Process  of,  238-241, 
245-254.  362 

*233,  247,  249,  251,  253 
Westminster,  Duke  of,  139 
Weston,  142 

Weyden,  Rogier  Van  Der,  62,  268, 
340 

*257 
White  Sale,  2 1 ,  346 
Whitehall,  146 
Widener,  P.  A.  B.,  213 
Williamsbridge,  Tapestry  Works  at, 

128,  200,  206-214,  246-254 
Windsor  Castle,  146,  352,  354 
Windsor    Tapestry    Works,    Royal, 

128,  138-141,  206 
Winter 

*  209 
Wolsey,  Cardinal,  350 
Wood,  D.  T.  B.,  280,  294 
Wood  Cutters,  54 

*345 
Xerxes.     See  Ahasuerus 

Vale,  Elihu,  146 
Verkes  Sale,  22,  346 
Vork,  Duke  of,  116 
Vork    Philosophical    Society,    Mu- 
seum of,  144 
Yvart,  M.,  164,  170 

Zamora,  Cathedral  of,  256,  302 
Zedlitz,  Mrs.  Von,  106,  122,  126,  416 
Zeunen,  I.  Van,  290 
Ziesch,  W.  &  Co.,  226,  227 
Zodiac,  Signs  of,  144,  398 


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INDEX   OF   BIBLIOGRAPHY 


Critical  descriptions  of  the  more   important   books    will  be   found   in 
chapter  XV,  on  pages  323-366,  as  referred  to  below. 


Alba  Sale  1877,  62,  63,  340,  342 

Anderson  Mortlake,  328 

Angers  Apocalypse,  354,  356 

Art  Journal,  139,  142,  144,  152,  366 

Archives  Nationales,  243 

Astier  Scipio,  302,  304,  306,  358,  360 

Badin  Beauvais,  190,  191,  194,  330, 

332 
Belgium  1880,  62,  334,  336,  408 
Bruges  1907,  338,  340 
Brussels  1905,  334,  336,  338 
Belvoir  Manuscripts,  114 
Birk  Austrian,  288,  290,  332 
Boettiger   Swedish,    116,    122,    189, 

191,  195,228,332 
Britain  Manuscripts,  114,  116 
Burlington  Magazine,  280,  294,  312, 

350,  386 

Calvert's  Escorial,  227 
Calvert's  Goya,  228 
Champeaux  Decoratifs,  350 
Champeaux  Tapestry,  360 
Charles  I  Inventory,  286,  348 
Christie,  362 

Cole  South  Kensington,  350 
Connoisseur,  148 
Cox  Lyons,  356 

Decoratifs  1882,  334,  338 
Destree  Cinquantenaire,  356 


Dollfus  Sale  1912,  342 

European  Magazine,  108 

Farcy  Angers,  354 
Fenaille  Gobelins,  173,  330 
Florence  Tapestries,  352,  354 
Forma  Spanish,  366 

Gazette  des  Beaux-Arts,  126,  366 
Gentili  Arazzi,  360,  362 
Gerspach's  Tapisseries  des  Gobelins, 

246 
Goya  Tapices,  227,  362 
Grosch  Norwegian,  364 
Guichard  French,  118,  332,  334,  397 
Guiffrey  Bibilography,  323 
Guiffrey  Generale,  324 
Guiffrey  Gobelins,  330,  332 
Guiffrey  Histoire,  326,  328,  330,  344 
Guiffrey,   Seizieme,   51,   54,  68,   74, 

262,  330 

Hamilton  Sale  1882,  340,  342 
Hampe  Nuremberg,  350,  352 
Hampton  Court  Catalogue,  350,  352 
Harleian  Manuscripts,  113,  348 
Hoentschel  Collections,  364 
Hooper,  362 

International  Studio,  350 

Jubinal  Tapisseries,  58,  74,  301, 
326 


437 


438 


INDEX 


Kann  Collection  1907,  193,  195, 

>  348 
Kristeller's  Mantegna,  258 

Laking  Windsor,  352,  354 
L'Art,  126 

Law  Hampton  Court,  350 
Le  Roy  Collection,  346,  348 
Lessing  Wandteppiche,  362,  364 
Louis  XIV  Inventory,  118,  156,  166, 
188,  348 

Mackail's  William  Morris,  130 
Macomber  Bibilography,  324 
Manuscripts    in    Bibliotheque    Na- 

tionale,  243,  297 
Mazarin  Inventory,  348 
Migeon,  326 

Muentz,  90,  326,  328,  330 
Muentz  Generale,  324 
Muentz  Vatican,  119 
Munich  Guide,  350,  352 
Munich  Neubau,  350,  352 

Naples  Museum,  352,  354 
Newton  Mortlake,  328 

Paris  1900,  338 
Pinchart  Generale,  244 

Raphael  Vatican,  358,  360 
Reims  Peintes,  256,  346,  358,  414 


Reims  Tapisseries,  358 

Reinach's  Repertoire  de  Peintures, 

402 
Robb  Sale  1912 
Rossi  Arazzo,  225,  360 

San  Donato  Sale  1880,  344 
Savary's     Dictionnaire     du     Com- 
merce, 201 
Schumann  Trojan,  301,  364,  365 
Siret's  Dictionnaire,  126 
Sommerard  Cluny,  350,  352 
Somzee  Sale  1901,  223,  340,  342 
South  Kensington  Bibliography,  324 
Spiliotti  Russian,  228,  366 
Spitzer  Sale  1903,  340,  342 
Spitzer  Collection  1890,  "jj,  346,  348 
Suzanne  Sale  1910,  344 

Thomson,  56,   108,   113,   115,  326, 
348,  4H 

Valencia  Spanish,  290,  304,  332, 

384 
Voltaire,  127 

White  Sale  1907,  406 
Williams  Spain,  362 

Yerkes  Sale  1910,  346 


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TWO  HOI1  RESF 


14  DAY  USE 

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